Heartfelt interest: Students learn about medicine in after school summer program

LASARA — Cristian Solorio’s career dream is to go into law enforcement and be a K-9 officer.

But he said after some hands- on activity to learn about the human heart, that my have changed.

He’s also interested in what the medical field has to offer.

Solorio was quick to answer questions about the anatomy of the heart and illustrate the way the heart works after participating in Lasara ISD’s Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) summer program.

“I thought the activities were really good,” Solorio said. “It was really fun making the heart out of balloons.”

With the use of regular household items, Solorio and 15 other students created a working model of the human heart in less than an hour using balloons, food coloring and plastic tubing.

During the activity, the students learned about the inner workings of heart and completed an exercise on CPR.

The school’s ACE summer five-week program started June 6 and ends July 7.

In previous weeks, the students participated in archery, wellness and pottery activities and went on field trips.

ACE Project Director Jessica Gracida said the summer program focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).

The ACE program focuses on college and career readiness, performance and behavior.

Gracida said the ACE program has helped more than 500 students throughout the district over the last five years.

The Lasara school district teamed up with the Mercedes-based nonprofit Texas Valley Communities Foundation’s college readiness Medical Innovation Technology Center (MEDITEC) program for this week’s set of activities.

“MEDITEC provided the students with hands-on activities focusing on the medical field,” said Jennifer Cantu, Lasara ACE coordinator. “We a have a variety of academic enrichment activities during the summer program.”

Throughout the rest of the week, the same students will participate in a bone analysis and blood spatter analysis.

Today the students will dissect a cow’s eye and review the organ’s relation to biology.

MEDITEC integrates human simulation technology in a way that intercepts science curriculum, connecting biology, anatomy and physiology in a real-world setting.

“They (students) may not want a career in medicine, but these activities give them the idea that they may like it,” said Cindy Garrett, MEDITEC associate director.

Garrett said none of the students raised their hands at the beginning of the activities stating they wanted to enter the medical field.

“I saw as the day went on the students got involved and the students were learning.”