Underrepresented students from three Seattle high schools explored public health disciplines this summer through a six-week course offered by the UW School of Public Health. The course is part of the School's outreach into diverse communities to spark interest in potential public health careers and education.

The 17 students from Chief Sealth, Cleveland and Franklin High Schools took part in the college-prep Upward Bound program. "We're helping them think more critically about public health," says Tory Brundage, adviser and student outreach coordinator, who organized the course with Sara Mackenzie, assistant dean for undergraduate programs. "It's like a health class, but thinking from a population perspective."

Topics include the history of public health, determinants of public health, environmental health, global health and the human genome project. Guest speakers included Peter Rabinowitz, associate professor of environmental & occupational health sciences and global health; Jeff Stanaway, acting assistant professor of global health; Daniella Witten, associate professor of biostatistics; and Kate West, a graduate student in public health genetic.