Impact Area

The Design Futures Public Interest Design (PID) Student Leadership Forum from the Sam Fox School is an interdisciplinary convening that fosters capacity-building for future leaders hoping to use design as a tool for social equity and positive change in and with historically marginalized communities. Design Futures seeks to build the next generation of leadership in design; diversify the ecosystem of public interest design in terms of discipline, race, gender, and beyond; and curate a national network of thought leadership.

Focused on fostering meaningful connections with our local communities, the Office of Community Partnerships (OCP) at the Brown School aims to cultivate, support, and sustain partnerships that bring about transformative social change for local communities and the region. The Brown School has identified priority geographic areas in the most critical need, making a measurable impact through social and economic justice.

The ASSURE fellowship at WashU Medicine provides college students from the St. Louis metro area an opportunity to engage in basic, clinical, and/or translational research projects. Candidates without prior research experience are particularly encouraged to apply.

Through its partnerships with local schools and its work to bridge research and practice, the Institute for School Partnership (ISP) at WashU is closing the education gap for tens of thousands of students in under-resourced schools. ISP has helped boost math and science learning, raise standardized test scores, increase teachers’ confidence in teaching STEM, and improve students’ self-confidence and development of career goals.

The mission of PECaD is to ensure that all cancer patients and communities benefit from the clinical and scientific advances at Siteman Cancer Center. The program strives to reduce the cancer burden and related disparities, while engaging communities to promote health equity across Siteman’s catchment and beyond.

Advancing Secondary Science Education through Tetrahymena (ASSET) is an NIH SEPA funded science education outreach program at Washington University in St. Louis. ASSET has developed a variety of modular science education materials designed to stimulate hands-on, inquiry-based learning of fundamental biological concepts for all grade levels. Among the aims outlined in the grant for the program is reaching populations traditionally underrepresented in science in the St. Louis area.

Developed by experts at the Brown School of Social Work, this website facilitates access to curated multi-year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) EHDI data–with data analysis to support research and benchmarking at the state and national levels–for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) professionals.

“Architecture for Non-Architects” is designed for WashU undergraduates who are not enrolled in a traditional architecture studio. The course introduces students to the processes architects use to think about, view, and produce the built environment.

The Healthy Kids Express– Diabetes Program brings a team of diabetes experts including those from Children’s Hospital and Washington University Physicians to underserved area schools.

The mission of the Black Genome Project is to understand how genetic research is impacting Black communities in St. Louis and how Black communities value their genomes and genetic data. Using research methods that include members of the community on the research team and through the study of individual people and community culture, project leaders hope to create a space for Black people to understand genetic diversity and to evaluate, learn, and take ownership over the future of genomic medicine. Together with Black communities, the Black Genome Project hopes that individuals become more empowered and have agency over their genetic health information.