Each year, students who participate in BioTrac Science Saturdays complete a community research project. The projects allow students to take a look
at the way their local community has been adversely affected by the priority area being studied, and then share that information with the public
through presentations made at the Museum and at youth summits and conferences. During the first year of BioTrac, participants created projects
on how infectious diseases are affecting their community. In year two, students will explore the realm of environmental health and learn how
toxins in air, soil, water and food are potentially harming Miami's citizens. During year three, students will learn about sports medicine and unintentional injuries.
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After choosing their topic and creating a storyboard,
teams go out into the community to conduct interviews with researchers, health care providers, patients, county officials, and other
members of the community directly involved in or affected by the team's research topic. Students collect data and document their
interviews using the latest technological tools. Students use digital video and still cameras to capture and catalog their research.
BioTrac youth are also instructed in video editing, online research, and creation of PowerPoint presentations in order to showcase their team research projects.
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Team projects from year one can be viewed by downloading the PowerPoint presentations below. One research team concentrated on
"Female Adolescents Infected with HIV." This project holds a specific community connection since Miami has one of the highest HIV infection rates among adolescents.
The second research team decided that they would direct their efforts towards discovering which high schools in the local Miami area were most knowledgeable about the
STD Chlamydia, the number one bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States today and particularly common among teens and young adults. Their project was entitled "What do you think Chlamydia is?"
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