Interactive Technology for Skin: Community Outreach, Research, and Education (iTS-CORE)
Background
Skin disease affects one out of every four children in the United States, with children of color suffering a disproportionate burden. In under-resourced communities, limited access to pediatric dermatologists results in poorly controlled disease, missed school, and frequent emergency department visits. One approach to improve health equity for children with skin disease is with innovative skin health and science education programs.
iTS-CORE
The Interactive Technology for Skin: Community Outreach, Research, and Education (iTS-CORE) is an interactive educational workshop for teens. Our goal is to create a novel educational program that supports diversity and inclusion in skin health and skin science education. By developing partnerships with community groups, community health centers, and school districts, we are creating a curriculum with the following themes:
- Demonstrate opportunities in health science careers
- Teach about skin cancer awareness and prevention, skin health, and dermatologic conditions
- Provide hands-on experience using cutting-edge dermatology equipment, such as non-invasive imaging equipment with AI and biophysical measurement tools
Our primary community partner is the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP). The BGCP's mission is to empower the youth in our community with equitable access to social, academic, and career opportunities to thrive. The BGCP has a commitment to diversity and inclusion and the majority of their active members identify as Latinx, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander.
We were very excited to partner with Mentoring in Medicine & Science to host a iTS-CORE workshop in June of 2022. MIMS is a nonprofit organization in Oakland, California with a mission is to increase the number of underrepresented health professionals through mentoring, career exposure, and leadership development. MIMS has had a huge impact for over 3500 students in the Bay area to achieve their mission to increase diversity in the health workforce.
At Stanford, we are partnering with the Stanford Graduate School of Education Center to Support Excellence in Teaching (CSET) to interview educators in high schools, community organizations, and community health centers. We hope to understand their priorities, barriers they face, and where there are opportunities for education and mentorship. Our curriculum will developed as a collaborative effort between our research team, Dr. Janet Carlson and Candice Kim from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, and community stakeholders including teachers, administrators, and community center leaders.
- We are thankful for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Good Skin Knowledge program for their advice on educational skin activities.
