During the summer of 2000, RIGEC and the University of Rhode Island (URI) Urban Field Center (UFC) joined in a collaborative partnership to reach out to high school students to encourage interest in health professions in geriatrics and gerontology. Nineteen students from Mt. Pleasant and Hope High Schools in Providence, Rhode Island and the William E. Toleman and Charles E. Shea Senior High Schools in Pawtucket, Rhode Island completed the five-week "Health Professions in Geriatrics Research Project." The program provided the students with a total of 87.5 hours focused on health careers in geriatrics. The curriculum for the program was developed by RIGEC Associate Director Marie Leinhaas, LICSW, RIGEC and URI College of Nursing faculty member Cynthia Padula, PhD, RN, and Kathleen A. Dodge, Coordinator of the Urban Field Center.

Project Activities
The students met five days a week for 3 hours per day. Daily classroom sessions were designed to encourage critical thinking, creativity, cooperation and interpersonal communication skills. The content was specifically designed to offer students the knowledge and skills needed to plan and conduct a research project, and to summarize the project in the form of a research report. A wide variety of topics was covered over the course of the program, including: steps in the research process; how groups function successfully; development of a survey tool; review of basic computer skills; and concepts of process writing. Both group and independent activities were an integral part of the program, and students completed a computer journal in which they recorded what they had learned during that day.

In the second week of the program, students visited various community field sites, including adult day programs, senior centers, community centers, and nursing homes. Using surveys and a questionnaire developed in groups, students interviewed community-residing seniors in such places as local malls and the senior aquatics program at URI. The survey questions spanned a wide range of topics: seniors' music preferences; their activity levels and types of activities in which they engage; how seniors feel about the world today; what they feel is the biggest problem facing seniors; and questions regarding their level of concern about sexually transmitted diseases among seniors. The students also interviewed a wide variety of health professionals, including opticians, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, and health care administrators.

RIGEC faculty members from the fields of gerontology, pharmacy, social work, nursing, and medicine conducted weekly lecture sessions with the students. The purpose of these sessions was to acquaint students with the diverse career opportunities available in the field of gerontology and geriatrics as well as to provide detailed information related to selected health disciplines. The sessions were informal, with discussion and questions encouraged.

During the faculty lectures, students were encouraged to pursue the opportunity to "shadow" health professionals in their career of interest. These opportunities are viewed as essential in facilitating interested students' realistic perceptions about and interest in careers in health and geriatrics.

For the final element of the project, students were charged with the development of a final report that demonstrated four specific outcomes: (1) their ability to identify careers in geriatric health care and administration, (2) their knowledge about the educational requirements of those careers and their potential economic benefits, (3) their sensitivity to the needs of the elderly, and (4) their participation in community activities that serve elders. The result was a bound document the students titled Teens on Senior Stereotypes (TOSS). Filled with engaging graphics, original artwork, and color photographs of the students, senior citizens, and some of the health professionals they encountered, the report illustrates the students' teamwork, writing, layout, and computer skills. An introduction to the project is followed by interviews, surveys, and narratives on geriatric career opportunities, ageism, and medical issues facing the elderly, interwoven with the students' own personal thoughts and feelings.

From the project director's and staff perspectives, the final report provided the students as well as staff with a tangible outcome of the summer program: something to show with pride to parents and teachers and a way to keep the information available for and as a future resource. We at RIGEC believe that this report has the potential to serve as an excellent resource for other GECs to use in meeting the objective of encouraging high schools students to pursue careers in gerontology and geriatrics.

Project Evaluation
Several mechanisms were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Health Professions in Geriatrics" program, including student completion rates, student evaluations, student shadowing, director and faculty evaluations, and evaluation of the final product. A plan will also be proposed for long-term follow-up.

In an evaluation conducted on the final day, 57% of the students said they would consider a career in geriatrics, l0% definitely wanted to become nurses specializing in geriatrics, and 33% replied they probably would not consider a geriatrics career. Most of the students reported a change in the way that they think about seniors. A sampling of student responses is illustrated below.

"The seniors know much more than I do."
"I learned to be more understanding toward the elderly."
"I liked doing the surveys with the elderly: it was great."
"The elders are so nice."
"I liked being with them and seeing their reactions."
"I really loved when we were talking to the seniors, interviewing them and the staffs."
"I developed how to respect elders more and love and admire them."
"I will use this in the future because I may become a nurse who specializes in geriatrics."
"My interest will not end with this paper."

Ninety-three percent of the students described the program as useful for their college preparation: when asked about specifics, 64% cited gaining skills in reading and comprehension, 71% in writing, and 64% in computer and research skills.

Based on the successes of this pilot project, plans for continuing the program are in progress. Much has been learned from this initial experience: perhaps one of the most fruitful impacts was to have engaged young people in the lives of so many elderly, and for them to have truly enjoyed as well as learned from that experience. The decision to use an older adult as the liaison between the UFC and the GEC proved to be extremely beneficial. This individual became an excellent role model of positive aging for the students, and a friend to many.

TOSS booklet information