ECHO (Exploring Careers in Healthcare and Onward): Educational Curriculum

Authors: Ariel Davydov BS, Rebecca Altshuler BS, and Aimee Pugh Bernard PhD

Campus: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO

Course Name: Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward (ECHO) Curriculum

Project Abstract: Our community outreach career fair is designed to introduce basic physiological concepts and explore careers in healthcare with elementary and middle aged students through hands-on experiments. The aim is to increase exposure and interest in healthcare careers in elementary and middle school students.

Keywords/Tags: STEM, STEM program, education, after-school program, free program, curriculum, science curriculum, healthcare, medicine, careers, career exploration, career fair, mentorship, students, elementary school, middle school, community outreach

Instructional Delivery: In-person, volunteer-led

Pedagogical Approach: experiment session

Recommended Class Size: 15-25

Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward (ECHO) is a non-profit, career exploratory event run by a diverse team of volunteer scientists and students at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU AMC). ECHO is offered as a subset of Think Like a Scientist (TLaS; a non-profit, after-school science program at CU Anschutz) that aims to increase awareness and exposure to healthcare professions among elementary and middle school students.

Under the guidance of faculty sponsor, Aimee Pugh Bernard, PhD, ECHO volunteers work with students to explore the marvels of the human body. Together, they empower participating students to increase interest in future careers in healthcare and medicine through hands-on, interactive activities emphasizing human physiology and medical and surgical practice.

Our career fair is designed to introduce basic concepts of human physiology and offer career exploration opportunities to elementary and middle aged students through hands-on experiments, crafts, and activities.

We aim to make this material widely available for other groups who wish to host similar career exploration events in medicine and healthcare in the hopes that it inspires young students to pursue healthcare careers in their professional futures.

This is a manual that provides instructions for volunteers and event organizers putting on an ECHO event of their own.

These worksheets contain a lesson plan, listed necessary materials, step-by-step instructions for the experiment, and reflection questions to discuss with students.

The experiments offered in the ECHO Career Fair are as follows:

1. Cardiology, “Build Your Own Stethoscope”
2. Pulmonology, “Learn About Lungs”
3. Surgery, “Make a Surgeon’s Bracelet”
4. Neurology, “All About Reflexes”

Below are links to YouTube videos detailing the four activities in the ECHO curriculum. These are geared towards elementary and middle school students for virtual or asynchronous activity completion. Feel free to share this with participating students who would like to experience the ECHO curriculum at home!

YouTube Playlist:

1. Cardiology, “Build Your Own Stethoscope”
2. Pulmonology, “Learn About Lungs”
3. Surgery, “Make a Surgeon’s Bracelet”
4. Neurology, “All About Reflexes”