Wells International Foundation Celebrates Two Years of Groundbreaking Programming

HOUSTON - July 4, 2023 - PRLog -- The Wells International Foundation (WIF) is celebrating two years of success through its Youth Veterinarian Initiative (YVI).

Operated under WIF's STEAM Education Strategic Focus Area (SFA), YVI is designed to 1) expose Black and Latinx youth aged 9-17 years to the field of veterinary medicine and 2) introduce these youth to race- and gender-specific role models so they can see themselves pursuing a career in this domain.

During the first year of the program, WIF hosted twenty-eight (28) podcast episodes featuring veterinarians and others who work with animals in the U.S. and abroad.  Sixty-plus (60+) youth attended the calls live, and WIF made the recordings available at no charge for youth and educators across the country.

The podcast inspired South Bronx Early College Academy (SBECA) 6th-grade science teacher Danielle Corbin in Bronx, NY to create a curriculum called "Careers in Veterinary Medicine," which she taught to 25 students during Spring Semester 2022.

It also inspired a 6th-grade student in Houston, TX to achieve perfect attendance during the first two months of the program and volunteer at her local animal shelter to prepare for her future application to veterinary school.  She continues to volunteer there today.

During Year 2, WIF launched the YVI Book Club & Merit Badge Program while continuing to offer the podcast series.  One hundred and forty-two (142) students from middle schools in Bronx, NY; Newark, NJ; Chicago, IL; and Houston, TX read eight (8) life-science-themed books and joined monthly Zoom calls to discuss their readings.

Students earned a total of 400 merit badges for completing homework assignments, drawing their favorite characters/personas in the books, and attending monthly Zoom calls and YVI podcasts.  Two students received letters of achievement for interviewing podcast speakers.

Educators reported that students increased their literacy skills and/or knowledge of life sciences by one to two levels.

All Etoile Academy (Houston, TX) 5th-grade participants passed the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam.  Six of them achieved Meets and Masters status, which is one of the highest distinctions for the exam.

Etoile program facilitator Kristen Ray said, "I know reading these books and talking about the questions have been a huge help to their academic success."

Unexpected results included SBECA math, social studies, and ELA teachers seeking ways to include life science books in their lessons and Marion P. Thomas Charter School STEAM Academy (Newark, NJ) scholars receiving an inspiring visit from YVI podcast speaker Dr. Heather Fowler, Director of Producer and Public Health at the National Pork Board.

WIF is now preparing for Year 3 of YVI and looking forward to hosting its first summer camp with book club participants in August 2024.

To learn more about WIF, visit https://wellsinternationalfoundation.org.