Jessica Lyons, a physical and environmental sciences teacher at South Effingham High School, has been accepted into the Center for Disease Control’s Science Ambassador program.
Lyons will join other master teachers from across the nation for a five-day professional development workshop targeted to improving health and science education in public schools. The workshop is part of the CDC’s Career Paths to Public Health initiative. Part of CPP’s mission is to “improve future workforce capacity by raising awareness, igniting interest, and developing competency in epidemiology and public health science” for middle and high school students.
By collaborating with master teachers, the CDC can develop education materials and lesson plans. These materials will be available to teachers and districts that want to increase health literacy while supporting students who choose public health as a career pathway.
Lyons is thrilled to be a part of the program:
“I was honored and excited when I learned that I was chosen to be a CDC Science Ambassador,” she said. “The CDC is a world-renowned facility that not only specializes in keeping our citizens safe by identifying and addressing public health issues, but it is located in our home state. I anticipate student engagement when I return to school next year and am able to share my experience and demonstrate how the CDC applies science, technology, and math skills. I am eager to ignite student interest in the field of public health and communicate how this world-renowned facility relates to their lives. Ultimately this professional development opportunity will translate to higher student achievement and performance.”
Participants in this program will travel to Atlanta in July to attend workshops and activities. Team members are expected to submit drafts of their lesson plans in June but will continue to refine the plan during the summer months and July workshops.
The workshops allow teachers across the country to evaluate and critique each other’s work while updating their own materials with new facts and concepts discussed in workshops.
