Nabih Ghani (Medicine) was awarded second prize at the 26th Annual Graduate & Professional Student Research Forum at UNLV for his podium presentation titled, "Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY): A Neuroscience Outreach Program for High School Students in Southern Nevada During the COVID-19 Pandemic." The following faculty and students in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV also contributed to the work: Hayley Baker, Audrey Huntsinger, Tiffany Chen, Tiffany D. Familara, Jose Yani Itorralba, Fritz Vanderford, Xiaowei Zhuang, Ching-Lan Chang, Van Vo, and Edwin C. Oh.
In a time when COVID-19 restrictions halted or postponed laboratory outreach across the U.S., the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine at UNLV, in collaboration with local school district administrators, creatively navigated these challenges to continue offering in-person educational opportunities. The SEFTY program, designed with a focus on experiential learning and peer-to-peer interaction, successfully engaged 117 high school students from diverse backgrounds in 2021-2022. This initiative saw significant participation from over 41% Pacific Islander and Asian students, more than 9% African American students, and over 12% multiracial students. Through pre- and post-program evaluations, the SEFTY program demonstrated a remarkable 20.3% improvement in students' science proficiency (p<0.001), evidencing the program's effectiveness in not only fostering academic excellence but also promoting diversity within the scientific community amid the pandemic. This effort underscores the vital role of immersive, inclusive educational programs in stimulating scientific curiosity and achievement among a broad spectrum of students.
