More than 200 middle school students from four Detroit Public Schools will visit the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s campus in Detroit on April 3 to Go Out and Love Science, or #GOALS, in collaboration with the Ascension Foundation and Ascension Community Impact.
Students from Emerson Middle School, Hutchison Middle School, Amelia Earhart Middle School and Golightly Education Center will attend the one-day event, participating in hands-on activities to inspire a love for science and medicine.
The foundation’s #GOALS initiative is a day-long event designed to expose sixth, seventh and eighth grade students to potential future health care careers through hands-on activities and small-group interaction with medical students and professionals.
“Ensuring that our healthcare workforce reflects the communities it serves is essential to improving health outcomes,” said Stacy Garrett-Ray, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., senior vice president/chief community impact officer for Ascension. “Research shows that when patients receive care from providers who share their background and experiences, trust increases, communication improves, and health disparities decrease. Addressing the need for more doctors is a critical step toward a more effective health care system that improves care for all communities.”
Wayne State University and Ascension know that an early love for science is the pathway to creating the next generation of doctors, scientists and STEM professionals. An early interest in science propels students throughout high school, college and into medical and other health schools. The next generation of doctors is developed when younger students understand just how fascinating and rewarding science can be.
“We are proud to be working closely with the Wayne State University School of Medicine, which is a national leader in medical education,” said Robyn Brenza Kress, president of the Ascension Foundation. “Their dedication to attracting and educating a wide-ranging student body includes innovative pathways such as Med-Direct and the Graduate Certificate in Premedical Studies as well as ongoing outreach to Detroit Public Schools, and we’re inspired by their example.”
“The Wayne State University School of Medicine is honored to have the Ascension Foundation as an ongoing collaborator, recognizing our longstanding and passionate commitment to our community and urban clinical excellence,” said School of Medicine Dean Wael Sakr, M.D. “The university has developed responsive and innovative initiatives to help ensure that everyone with a passion for medicine and health care can pursue a world-class medical education. This event is an extension of that, as we encourage these, and all young learners, to consider what could be possible in the future if they study science and medicine today.”
The Ascension Foundation was established in 2021 to address root causes of health disparities in the United States by focusing on social determinants of health. In 2022, the Foundation created #GOALS (Go Out and Love Science), a one-day, interactive and inspirational program for middle schoolers to explore potential health care careers, that has reached nearly 2,000 children.
Learn more about the Ascension Foundation’s commitment to expanding the health care workforce pipeline, including #GOALS, at https://youtu.be/0W7AFfd2a-s