K-12 Training & Education Opportunities


CRTEC is devoted to training the next generation of researchers and scientist clinicians. Research shows that student career aspirations begin to form during secondary school and extracurricular science experiences have a strong formative impact on student interest in science and the development of a science identity. This can impact students’ future career goals. As such, CRTEC strives to develop partnerships and programs that provide real-world experiences and exposure for students in the field of cancer research.

Some of the programs facilitated or supported by CRTEC include Learn About Cancer Day, Cancer Center Research Rangers (C2R2), Cancer Center Student Symposium (C2S2), and the Emerging Cancer Research Scientist Program. We also have a partnership with the staff and students at the STEM school located adjacent to the Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora Science and Technology (AST), to provide guest speakers and science sessions for their after-school programming and serve on their advisory board.

For more information on any of our programming or to sign up to participate, please fill out the interest form.

Learn About Cancer Day is a day-long seminar that includes a tour of a research laboratory at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The event serves high school students from the metropolitan Denver area. Learn About Cancer Day is offered to approximately 120 students per event and is typically held each year in February.

The goal of Learn About Cancer Day is to ignite students' interest in biomedical fields, specifically cancer-related research, and to increase community awareness of the University of Colorado Cancer Center's capabilities as a research and therapeutic center.

Participants are exposed to short lectures on multiple aspects of cancer such as biological mechanisms, prevention, epidemiology, methods of diagnosis and staging, including profiling, bioinformatics, and types of therapy.

Interspersed with the lectures, small groups of students tour scheduled research labs to speak one-on-one to technicians, graduate students, or faculty members for one hour. 

LACD

→ Learn About Cancer Day Inspires Local High School Students to Pursue Careers in Science and Research

    Contact Us

    Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination at CRTEC@cuanschutz.edu

    Faculty Sponsor: John Tentler, PhD

    Other Associated K-12 Educational Programs

    In addition to the CRTEC developed and facilitated educational programming, cancer center members are involved in other K-12 educational outreach programming including CU Science Discovery, eCLOSE, and Think Like a Scientist.