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In the Virtual STEMM Academy, we offer a platform to bring our vast data resources to the classroom, teaching students about research design and data analysis through engaging and insightful data stories.
Program goals
- Provide data science resources for students
- Provide learning activities for high school students entering the HSRI program
- Raise visibility of research careers and research enterprise at St. Jude
- Facilitate relationships between teachers and researchers
- Provide community and mentoring to those seeking science training
In line with the St. Jude Strategic Plan, the Virtual STEMM Academy forms part of our broader efforts to bridge the gap between education and scientific research. Specifically, the program resonates with Strategic Initiative 3 under Goal 10 to strengthen talent sourcing, hiring, career development, promotion and retention, and community outreach. Meanwhile, it supports Strategic Initiative 4 with the same goal to enrich the talent pipeline by developing educational efforts targeted at potential future St. Jude employees. Additionally, the program will be used to recruit and prepare a national cohort for the growing St. Jude High School Research Immersion Program and other in-person training events.
What is a data story?
Every research finding has a story behind it. The Virtual STEMM Academy helps you find yours. Through real-world data sets and hands-on analytical tools, VSA teaches you to think like a scientist, not just by learning methods, but by engaging with the kind of data-driven questions that drive discovery at St. Jude. Each module is built around narrative as much as numbers, connecting the science you're learning to the people and purpose behind it.
Multimodal learning
VSA is built for the way people actually learn. Animations, narrative texts, interactive reviews, and guided thinking exercises work together to deepen understanding and keep you engaged. Current modules focus on Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Medulloblastoma, Sickle Cell Disease, and Computer Science in Biomedical Research, with each topic grounded in the real science happening at St. Jude.
For more information on the Virtual STEMM Academy, contact kyle.bichsel@stjude.org.