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High school students across Washington are invited to enter the fifth annual Washington Tracking Network (WTN) Youth Science Contest, the state Department of Health announced.
The contest challenges students to analyze health and environmental data from their communities while developing science and communication skills. Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. March 31, with final projects due at 11:59 p.m. April 15.
DOH this year updated the WTN’s Environmental Health Disparities Map to version 3.0, which runs on the ArcGIS platform and includes new data and measures. The updates stem from tribal consultation and community engagement and make it easier to identify preventable, environmentally related health disparities.
“Students who take our health information and turn it into creative solutions can have a real impact on helping their communities be healthy,” said environmental epidemiology supervisor Jennifer Sabel, environmental epidemiology supervisor. “We are delighted with the way this contest has grown since we started it.”
Students may submit projects in one of three tracks: Health science, which involves analyzing WTN data to identify patterns or disparities; science communication, which focuses on raising public awareness; or program and policy design, which calls for developing a policy proposal or partnering with a local organization.
All projects must incorporate WTN data, an equity-focused analysis, clear visuals and a process reflection.
A panel of DOH public health experts will judge submissions, with results announced in late May. Winners receive a plaque, recognition on DOH social media and the WTN webpage, and first-place winners earn a mentoring session with a public health expert.
More information is available on the WTN contest page.
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