South Texas students from last year’s CATCH Academy returned last week to present unique health careers clubs they created for their hometowns.
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From raising awareness of teen isolation to conducting blood drives and encouraging exercise, twenty South Texas high school students are changing the face of future health care, thanks to the help of the Health Science Center.

The students, from Alexander Magnet High School in Laredo, Dilley High School, Fredericksburg High School and South San Antonio High School, returned to the Health Science Center last week to present projects they designed last year at the Health Science Center’s CATCH (Community Approach to Careers in Health) Academy. The academy was made possible by a collaborative effort between the South Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Center for South Texas Programs and the School of Allied Health Sciences.

Last year the high school students spent a week learning leadership skills and developing community projects involving the health care field. They returned last Monday to present their final community projects, which were used to form informative health career clubs in their area. Health Science Center allied health students served as mentors throughout the year.

“We want our community to be aware of the signs of a heart attack,” explained Fredericksburg High School students as they presented information about their community project. “During the year we gave presentations to people of all ages and had fun contests. At H-E-B and local football games we passed out about 500 cards that included information about keeping a healthy heart, and we even helped our school host a blood drive.”

The students were featured in their local media several times because of their dedication to informing their community about the prevalence of heart disease.

“We are extremely impressed with these high school students,” said Kimberly Ferguson, health careers program coordinator in the AHEC. “The amount of work they have been able to accomplish in just one short year is absolutely outstanding.”

Five students from Fredericksburg High School present their health careers club, which focused on the prevalence of heart disease.

Marilyn Harrington, Ph.D., dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, described the CATCH Academy as a success story that should be included in case studies of recruitment “Best Practices.”

“The relationship developed between AHEC and the School of Allied Health Sciences brought together the perfect mix of unique educational activities in the classroom, laboratory, social and recreational events,” Dr. Harrington said. “We watched shy, reticent high school students blossom into leaders in their schools. Teachers and principals united around the students’ efforts and greatly supported their CATCH Academy projects. This is experiential learning at its best!”

The other schools involved in the CATCH Academy also gave presentations, sharing the difference they have made in their communities. Each project was proven to be a success.

“We have already begun the planning process of the second annual CATCH Academy that will be held this July,” said Paula Winkler, director of the South Central AHEC. “The students who participated last year have recruited several others by describing the good experiences they’ve had throughout the past year.

“We are especially pleased with the participation of our Allied Health students who have acted as mentors and consultants to the students at their respective campuses,” Winkler added. “We feel that longitudinal relationships with the allied health students assist high school students, helping them learn that they really can achieve in a health career – especially at the Health Science Center.”

The second annual CATCH Academy will be held July 16-21, 2006. It will again be sponsored by the Center for South Texas Programs, AHEC and the School of Allied Health Sciences.

“The reason we provide funds for the CATCH Academy is because the program emphasizes the importance of training teachers, and guides the teachers so they can help students get involved in the health care field,” said Tina Fields, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate director for the Center for South Texas Programs. “This unique program would not be successful without Kimberly Ferguson. She really appreciates the fact that it’s the teachers that empower the students. Much of the success can be attributed to her for keeping the teachers involved throughout the year, bringing them in for discussion and including their thoughts in the development of the projects.”

This year’s academy will again be co-coordinated by Ferguson, as well as Douglas Murphy, Ph.D., associate dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences.

“We look forward to meeting several other exceptional high school students at the second annual CATCH Academy this summer,” Ferguson said. “And, I am excited to see how the current health careers clubs grow as the students continue working with their school and community next year.”