Discovery program: Integrating biomedical engineering graduate instructors with high school STEM curriculum

With the diverse nature of the biomedical engineering (BME) field, high school students are often limited in their understanding of the area during consideration for post-secondary study. In effort to improve student comprehension, as well as provide a unique learning opportunity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum, graduate students at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME; University of Toronto) have developed and launched the IBBME Discovery Program. In strong collaboration with high school educators, graduate student instructors designed and executed activity- and designbased learning focused on applicable topics in BME aligned with Ontario high school science curriculum learning outcomes. Results from this pilot suggest strong student engagement in data-based experimental learning, and graduate student development in knowledge translation and activity design through collaboration. These results provide a strong foundation for program growth and quantitative assessment.This program was financially supported by the IBBME