The St. Jude STEMM Education and Outreach Program aims to increase diversity of the biomedical workforce by addressing inequities in K-12 STEMM education. Through intentional school partnerships, the STEMM Education and Outreach Program engages in curriculum co-design projects and out-of-school time programming to increase access and opportunities for youth to participate in authentic science learning opportunities. These initiatives include:
Kindergarten Collaborative (teacher-focused)
The Kindergarten Collaborative partners with kindergarten teachers in the Memphis area to enhance science education practices and curricula for early learners. Together, we create learning modules that integrate science learning with English language arts, math, and social and emotional learning.
Cancer Education at Home Kits
The St. Jude Cancer Education at Home Kits provide parents fun and educational activities to complete at home with their children. Kits integrate hands-on STEMM activities with stories related to the science of St. Jude.
Learn more about the St. Jude Cancer Education at Home Kits
St. Jude Afterschool STEMM Clubs
The St. Jude Afterschool STEMM Clubs allow 5th-grade students to engage in science and engineering concepts in an informal setting. St. Jude conducts this program in partnership with Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Learn more about the St. Jude Afterschool STEMM Clubs
St. Jude Community Health Clubs
Through St. Jude Community Health Clubs, students in grades 6–8 develop interventions to reduce cancer health disparities in their communities. St. Jude conducts this program in partnership with Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Cancer Education in the Classroom Loan Kits
K–12 educators use curricular materials in St. Jude Cancer Education in the Classroom Loan Kits to enhance science education through cancer-related concepts. Kits are available in select schools across the country.
BioSTEM in Cancer Education Collaborative (teacher-focused)
The BioSTEM in Cancer Education Collaborative partners with middle and high school science educators in the Memphis, Tennessee, area to enhance science education practices and curricula. This collaborative is co-led by Nikki Wallace, Biology and BioSTEM educator at Crosstown High School in Memphis.
St. Jude Science Ambassadors Program
The St. Jude Science Ambassadors Program is designed to inspire Memphis-area K-12 students to pursue cancer research careers by connecting them with positive, relatable scientific role models. St. Jude scientists organize and participate in activities at local schools and libraries (e.g., career talks, DNA Day, science fair judging).
St. Jude Science Ambassadors are available to visit schools in the Memphis area. Virtual visits are available in regions surrounding our affiliate clinics.
Virtual Science Journal Clubs
The St. Jude Virtual Science Journal Club connects high school students with professional scientists. The program consists of three sessions during the Spring semester in which a professional scientist from St. Jude or another local research institution “visits” the classroom via a virtual platform to discuss findings from a scientific journal. This program is suitable for advanced-level biology and chemistry classes.
Request to Host a Virtual Science Journal Club
Cancer Control and Disparities Fellowship
The Cancer Control and Disparities Fellowship engages high school students in a mentored, summer research experience that connects to project-based learning activities at their local school. This program is a partnership among St. Jude, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the University of Memphis, and Memphis-area high schools.
High School Summer Research Immersion Program
The High School Research Immersion Program offers funded internships for Memphis-area rising seniors in laboratory, psychology, epidemiology, clinical or data science research. A primary goal of the program is to provide access and opportunities to mentored research experiences.