Developed in 1994, the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) currently involves approximately 55 secondary teachers from 21 West Virginia counties. These teachers partner with West Virginia University faculty and professionals in their communities to provide academic enrichment to about 550 students. Approximately 25 percent of students served are African-American and many live in rural areas or are disadvantaged financially. HSTA programs include summer institutes and community-based clubs for students and professional development for teachers.

Student Programs- At summer institutes, teachers and WVU faculty (health and natural sciences, mathematics, and education) engage HSTA students in problem-solving activities that relate science to human health. The community-based component of HSTA uses after-school clubs as an opportunity for teachers to facilitate research investigations and community service projects that are chosen by students. These clubs respond to the need to extend science education to community settings (Donahue et al., 1998, Gallagher & Hogan, 2000) and allow teachers and students to experience "the power of informal learning experiences" (National Science Teachers Association, 1998, p. l54).

Professional Development - The HSTA program includes the opportunity for teacher participants to earn a Master's degree through the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at WVU (Rye, 1998). HSTA incorporates principles of effective professional development set forth by Loucks-Horsley (1999): learning for all students is at the core, pedagogical content knowledge is a principal focus, and sources of expertise outside of the school are used. Graduate courses, workshops, and on-going collaborations with WVU faculty have enabled teachers to enrich their knowledge in areas such as human nutrition, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, DNA manipulation, histology preparation, experimental design, electronic concept mapping, and other information technology applications (Campbell & Meyers, 1997; Hildebrandt & Brown, 1998, 1999; Rye, Bardwell, Hu, 1999). HSTA professional development emphasizes a paradigm shift from teacher- to student-centered instruction. Emphasis is on learning science through investigation (Peterson & Jungck, 1988; National Research Council, 1996).