On May 14, St. Boniface Hospital Research welcomed students from the Seven Oaks School Division to its Youth BIOlab Jeunesse, offering a unique hands-on experience as part of the Pathways Program through the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS) at the University of Manitoba (UM).
The visit provided a captivating introduction to the intricacies of healthcare careers, with students participating in a brain dissection that included a hippocampal isolation to better understand the impacts of Alzheimer’s disease.
Launched in the fall of 2024, the Pathways Program is a collaborative initiative between the RFHS and the Seven Oaks School Division, spearheaded by Dean Peter Nickerson and Superintendent Tony Kreml. This partnership was born from a shared vision to actively support early learners in exploring future career paths in health sciences.
The program’s pilot project, an “Introduction to Health Care Careers” series, began in April and comprises nine visits over three months, culminating in a student celebration on June 18th. Currently, 23 Grade 8 students are participating, gaining exposure to the diverse study options available in post-secondary education and subsequent career paths within the science-intensive field of healthcare.
Dr. Hope Anderson, Principal Investigator in Vascular Biology at St. Boniface Hospital Research and Vice-Dean of Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies for the RFHS, UM, played a crucial role in bridging the Pathways Program with the Youth BIOlab Jeunesse. Dr. Anderson recently shared her personal story with the students, emphasizing the life-saving impact of scientific research. She recounted how research enabled her father, a heart transplant recipient, to have more precious time with his family.
The initial feedback from participating students has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the program’s success in engaging young minds. The Pathways Program aims to continue its impactful work and has ambitions to expand to include more schools and divisions in the future, nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers.
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St. Boniface Hospital Research Hosts Seven Oaks Students for Immersive Healthcare Exploration