School Groups

STEAM at the Hughston Foundation

Would your school or class be interested in visiting the Hughston Foundation for a day of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities? The Foundation specifically developed a STEAM program, geared towards medicine, for children in the 5th – 8th grades. This program works well for under 50 students at a time accompanied by a teacher(s) and school counselor(s).

After an introduction and welcome in the auditorium, the students are divided into 5 groups and then the groups rotated every one-hour to 30 minutes, depending on time, so everyone had a chance to experience each activity.

Examples of the STEAM stations include:

In the Science lab, a discussion on how chemical reactions change when 2 or more substances are mixed together. For example, the students mix vinegar and baking soda in small water bottles and watched the chemical reaction blow up balloons. A demonstration on how chemistry could be used medically can also be shown. A cast can be applied using materials that are soft and pliable, but once the chemicals are applied, the cast becomes hard.

In our Surgical Education Center a demonstration on how Technology is used in the operating room. The students may practiced on a knee model using our arthroscopy equipment to perform surgery. The goal being to locate and then remove popcorn kernels simulating “loose bodies” from within the knee joint. The students may also practice using an Arthrobox^TM, an arthroscopy-training tool, which uses a computer, a plastic box with portals, and specialized instruments to help with hand-eye coordination needed to perform arthroscopic surgery.

As part of the Engineering lab the students are taught about concussions. After a brief discussion, the students are given a boiled egg, which represents the brain and skull. The students are asked to design a way to protect the egg, from a concussion, from recyclable materials and then put it to the test. With their egg protected, the first dropped is at shoulder height. If their egg and apparatus survived, they dropped it off the balcony to the floor below. In the past, many of the students have successfully created devices that have survived both drops.

In the Art lab, a medical illustrator demonstrates drawing techniques as the students sketch along with the illustrator some bones and full skeleton. Plastic models and a skeleton are on display as the students learned to break down a complex object into simple shapes and the proportions of the human body. A discussion about the different bones, where they are located in the body, and a brief description of what a medical illustrator does as a career. After they finished, their drawings they are often hung for display and students are welcome to take them home.

In the Math lab, students are taught how numbers and math are used in medicine. The students learn some of the important numbers that doctors use to measure your health, such as your height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse rate. Students are given a clipboard, pencil, and chart to measure and record their vitals. They can also be involved by taking and recording each other’s eye exam results.

Hands on Adventure in Healthcare

Scrubs Camp

Do you know a high school or college student interested in learning more about the medical field? During Scrubs Camp, students will enjoy lab demonstrations, facility tours, surgical videos, and hand-on activities. Speakers and topics covered during camp include medical writing and illustration, radiology, surgical nursing and technologist, physician and residency program, physical and occupational therapy, athletic training, optometry, and a number of other medical professions. Our camps have been so successful, we have we are offering it twice again this year: June 15-17 and July 20-22. Attendees and staff will follow CDC guidelines for COVID throughout camp participation.

Scrubs Camp sponsorships are available. The camp is offered twice, giving 40 students the opportunity to participate. Unfortunately, not every student who wants to attend can afford the tuition. We are requesting your help to give a student (and possibly a future healthcare provider) a chance to attend. You can make a difference by sponsoring a student to attend the camp for $175. Every gift matters, however, so any amount will help us continue our mission. Please contact the Hughston Foundation’s Executive Director, Belinda Klein at bklein@hughston.com for more details about the camp or to support our valuable program.

Hands-On Experience

Surgical Education Center

Are you interested in having a customizable educational student experience? The Hughston Foundation will work with you to create an age appropriate agenda for your students based upon their interests and what they currently learning.

The Surgical Education Center has several options that students are able to engage depending on the number and budget. For the price of cadaver specimen, the primary purpose of a dissection session is to help students reinforce and extend their knowledge of anatomy through demonstration and hands-on experience. Depending on the number of students, students can be divided into groups so students get the most out of the experience. A review of relevant anatomy can presented before proceeding to the Center’s lab to dissect a cadaveric specimen. Students may also try their hand at arthroscopic knee surgery on simulators in the Center’s lab.

Hughston Foundation Art Gala for the Biologically Inclined

2020 Art Gala Exhibition

Once again, the Hughston Foundation collaborated with Harris County High School Work Based Learning Program to offer the 3rd Annual Art Gala Competition and Exhibition. High school and middle school students throughout Georgia were invited to submit biologically or medically inspired entries under drawing, painting, photography, 3D, or mixed media categories to the competition. The gala was held November 12, at 7:00 pm at the Hughston Foundation.

This year, teachers, students, and parents attended the exhibition of 106 entries both in-person and online. The furthest submission was mailed from submitted from Effingham County High School in Springfield, GA and 16 schools were represented overall. For this competition, the Hughston Clinic proudly supported the top 6 STEAM awards presented to the first through third middle school and high school entries for a total of $5,000 in scholarship prizes. Additionally, the Georgia Healthcare Science Technology Education Foundation sponsored two $250 awards for third place winners. Also presented were two Champ Baker Anatomical Awards for $375 each, one for Drawing and another for 3D. Additionally, a $1,000 Columbus State University (CSU) scholarship was awarded. Congratulations to our 2020 winners:

STEAM Awards

The 6 STEAM Awards were presented (First Place = $1,500, Second Place = $750, Third Place = $500) based on the top 3 scores for Middle School aged student, 6th – 8th grades, and the top 3 highest scores for High School aged student, 9th – 12th grades.

Middle School STEAM Award Winners:

1st – Mary Ann Kim, “Won’t Sleep” (Exhibit #106)

2nd – Molly Rickard, “You Light Up My Life” (Exhibit #3)

3rd – Kaylee Mclean, “My Heart Beats True” (Exhibit #48)

High School STEAM Award Winners:

1st – Emily Hughes, “Strength Within” (Exhibit #25)

2nd – Adam Ali, “Roots of Growth” (Exhibit #10)

3rd – Maisie Wirth, “The Heart of Hughston” (Exhibit #30)

 

Champ Baker Best Anatomical Awards:

Drawing – Molly McClendon, “Arm Muscles” (Exhibit #97)

3D – Alexiss LaTorre, “Handle with Care” (Exhibit #70)

 

CSU Scholarship

The Departments of Art, Biology, and Exercise Science have partner on a $1,000 scholarship. The student must qualify for admission to CSU and must enroll at CSU with a major or minor in Art, Biology, Kinesiology, or Health Sciences. The Student must remain in good academic standing for the duration of the award period. The award will be credited to the student’s CSU account, divided over the first 2 semesters of full-time enrollment.

2020 Columbus State University Scholarship Winner:

Adam Ali, “Roots of Growth” (Exhibit #10)

 

Honorary Media Award Winners:

Drawing:

Middle School: Allie Webb, “Flourishing Thoughts” (Exhibit #37)

High School: Mary Boyett, “Untitled” (Exhibit #15)

Painting:

Middle School: Zachary Madrigal, “Dia de Muertos” (Exhibit #36)

High School: Phillip Walker, “Can You Hear Me Now?” (Exhibit #18)

Mixed Media:

Middle School: Lindsey Hanson, “Decayed Skull” (Exhibit #38)

High School: Samuel Jimenez, “Heart of Hearts” (Exhibit #88)

Photography:

Middle School: Hailey Westmoreland, “The Decay of Our Passtime” (Exhibit #57)

High School: Lily Toohey, “Pursuit of Perfection” (Exhibit #11)

3D:

Middle School: Mary Rehrauer, “The Breath of Life” (Exhibit #73)

High School: Aiva Massey, “Dance of Life” (Exhibit #71)

 

Best in Show

This is the second year we have included Best in Show awards and in no way could we have anticipated the response that we received.

1.       478 total Middle School votes
2.       620 total High School votes

We appreciate the student enthusiasm to drive votes towards their individual piece, thus raising awareness about the Art Gala intern. The “Best in Show” is not determined by the judges’ scores, instead to put it simply by “poplar vote.” Voting was closed at midnight on Tuesday, November 10th. This category was co-sponsored by Innovative Supplies

Best in Show Winners:

Middle School: Mary Ann Kim, “Won’t Sleep” (Exhibit #106)

High School: Jakobe Davis, “Back Muscle Anatomy” (Exhibit #13)

---

The Hughston Foundation Art Gala for the Biologically Inclined is perfect for students who would like to unmask the exciting world of art and science. This biological and medically inspired art contest encourages students to create artwork while integrating the principle areas of the national STEAM initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics).