HEAT Corps
The HEAT Corps serves an active role in the community on a local, national, and international level by digesting and disseminating essential, science-based, public health messages to empower youth and broaden health literacy.
Their approach is multi-pronged, with goals to equip educators with the tools they need to effectively teach their students about pressing health concerns, while also building awareness and science-based thinking for students spanning kindergarten through grade 12. The HEATS Corps Curriculum connects students from Baltimore, across the country, and abroad to engage in crucial educational dialogue through virtual Zoom meetings with trained Hopkins instructors. Together, they discuss key public health issues while generating a broad interest in STEM fields and connecting students to healthcare and public health professionals.
Currently, the HEAT Corps is working on two major projects:
The Virtual Hopkins Classroom serves to dispel misinformation and spread evidence-based information. They primarily work to engage the community, amplify the voices of the youth, and encourage youth to become well-informed public health advocates. Additionally, they offer virtual curriculums at the early elementary, elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each lesson consists of lectures, Q&A, worksheets, and digital worksheets.
Telehealth Equity Project is a collaboration between HEAT Corps, The Johns Hopkins Office of Telemedicine, the Office of Economic Development and Community Partnerships (OEDCP), and Microsoft. They offer lessons that cover the basics of digital literacy designed to help community residents feel confident in conducting and engaging with telemedicine and electronic patient portals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Outside of Baltimore, the program will continue to develop relationships with interested school districts and youth-focused foundations. The program has created an infrastructure to reach schools from across the country, bringing the expertise of Hopkins directly into the classroom. Future curricular topics will include other areas of health education, such as vision health and mental health.
For more information:
heatcorps.jhu.edu