• During the Winter of 2003, participants in grades 8-10 were challenged to develop original interventions for specific disease states. In order to accomplish this feat, students were required to research the validity of the disparities in health care in various populations, develop a hypothesis and utilize various research tools to locate evidence to support their statements. At the conclusion of this program, students were able to develop and present original solutions for their proposed interventions (i.e., a cookbook featuring healthy entrees for specific ethnic groups). The final presentations were impressive, as students demonstrated proficiency in group collaboration, presentation, research and computer skills.
• The newly restructured community service element of the Mission Health Program for participants entering grade 11 was extremely successful. This innovative combination of volunteerism and problem based learning enabled students to volunteer a maximum of 9 hours each week at one of 6 pre-selected sites in the greater Newark area. The sites, whose populations were primarily pediatric and geriatric, afforded students the rare opportunity to explore health related issues pertinent to these two groups via problem based learning. Their findings formed the basis of their research, which subsequently led to further development of their research, writing and computer skills. (Participants also acquired a keen understanding of the importance of "giving back" to the community.) Their knowledge base was further enhanced by the instruction they received from the four outstanding medical students who lead the program who had recently completed a course in problem-based learning. (Two of the four medical students chose to volunteer their time to the SMART initiative to fulfill the requirements of a program in which they were enrolled.) This proved to be an very rewarding experience for both the medical and high school students.

• Our community work was affected by the untimely retirement of the coordinator of University Hospitals Volunteer Program. Fortunately, this challenge was not insurmountable. We were able to meet the objectives for this particular program component by establishing a relationship with six new sites within the greater Newark Area. Although the program was extremely successful, the cost of transportation exceeded our expectations. In the future, the director will design an alternative plan that either accounts for unforeseen expenses or allows for elimination of a program component without serious detriment to the entire project.
• 2. Recruiting participants from Newark public schools in the Central and South wards continues to present a challenge for the SMART Initiative. Intensive efforts have been made to recruit students from Newark public schools least affluent wards. However, student disinterest, competition for other programs, and the desire of students to earn money are obstacles that continue to thwart our efforts. With this in mind, we have begun to re-evaluate our current recruiting and admissions policies and procedures. Upon completion of a thorough investigation of these processes, we proposed the following solutions to aid us in acquiring greater success in this area: 1) Host informational meetings for Science/Math Coordinators, Guidance Counselors, teachers and students in the targeted areas. 2) Periodically visit targeted schools and to host informal informational meetings and disseminate marketing materials and announcement flyers. 3) Maintain a database of interested students/parents and remain in contact with them throughout the admissions process. 4) Determine which factors sets the SMART Initiative apart from its competitors (What makes us unique? What do we offer that similar organizations do not?) and sell/emphasize those points in informational meetings and marketing materials. 5) Offer stipends to students who are eligible for summer youth employment programs or work with those agencies to create opportunities for students to earn an income for their participation in the program. Overhaul admission and student evaluation procedures to increase the number of spaces available to new participants.

• When teaching a lesson the the human body (systems), have students lay on a large piece of paper and have another student trace the outline of his body onto the paper. As the students learn each system, have them draw that system on the body map in its appropriate location. Then have them write a brief description of the locations of these structures, their relative positions and their major function(s) directly on the map. This procedure forces active learning and knowledge construction by the student.
• Gro -Beasts are small animal figurines which are made from a polymer similar that in disposal diapers. They provide an excellent way to study the relation between different types of physical measurements. They can also provide a lead-in for the fact that all parts of the mammalian body do not grow proportionately. A written comparision and discussion of Gro-Beasts and human growth provides an excellent exercise in analytical thinking and comparative analysis.

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