Educator Programs

Classroom Activities

Community Ambassador Program

Des Moines University and surrounding region

The Community Ambassador Program (CAP) offers students from grade school through college a chance to learn about various health and medical issues. This interactive program can provide a classroom presentation at your school or create a hands-on field trip to Des Moines University for demonstrations, tours and other activities.

On-Campus Educational Activities

  • Anatomical demonstration of human organs
  • Visit to the EKG Laboratory, where students receive a graph of the electrical activity of their hearts
  • Simulation with Harvey, a state-of-the-art cardiovascular teaching mannequin
  • Tour of the Human Performance Laboratory
  • Microbiology lab, where students learn how identify various bacteria
  • Demonstration of osteopathic manipulation by DMU medical students
  • Tour of the Standardized Performance and Assessment Laboratory (SPAL)

Classroom Presentation Topics

  • AIDS
  • Aging
  • Anatomy
  • Brain and spinal cord
  • Breast cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Health careers
  • Heart and circulation
  • Nutrition
  • Osteopathic medicine
  • Preventative medicine
  • Respiratory system
  • Safety
  • Smoking

For more information, visit the CAP web page. To schedule a campus visit or classroom presentation, contact the recruitment coordinator in your region.

Junior Mini Medical School

University of Iowa, Iowa City

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine offers students from 5th to 12th grade a chance to experience a day in the life of a medical student. Groups of 20 or less can visit campus to learn what it takes to be a doctor by experiencing some of the training medical students encounter at the University of Iowa.

To learn more about other UI Health Care educational experiences or to schedule an experience for your class, visit the Junior Mini Medical School web page.

Science @ Your Site

Schools and organizations across Iowa

Science @ Your Site brings the excitement of the Science Center of Iowa to the classroom. This innovative program offers a variety of fascinating presentations designed to encourage students to explore the world of science and engage them in exciting experiments. With presentations for both small classrooms and large assemblies, Science @ Your Site provides hands-on activities and demonstrations to fit any science curriculum.

For more information about the program and descriptions about each presentation, visit the Science @ Your Site web page.

Teacher Education

Center for Learning Advancement in the Structural Sciences

Des Moines University

The Center for Learning Advancement in the Structural Sciences (CLASS) program is a summer enrichment experience for elementary and secondary school teachers to help enhance their knowledge of the anatomical sciences. This week-long program allows science teachers to build a stronger knowledge base in anatomy and develop posters and technology-based learning products for the classroom. Upon completion of the program, CLASS participants will be better prepared to teach the anatomical sciences and attain improved learning outcomes in students.

For more information, visit the CLASS web page or contact Dr. Craig Canby, program director.