Number
202
Name
Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward (ECHO): A community career fair geared towards promoting healthcare career interest in elementary and middle school students
Date & Time
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Location Name
Oglethorpe Ballroom
Speakers
Authors
Ariel Davydov, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Rebecca Altshuler, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Zoe Van De Voorde, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Aimee Pugh Bernard PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Presentation Topic(s)
Curriculum
Description
Purpose
Early exploration can strongly influence children’s career development.
Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward (ECHO) is a free community
outreach program aimed towards introducing basic physiological concepts and
increasing exposure to careers in healthcare through hands-on experiments.
The primary purpose is to increase healthcare career interest in elementary
and middle school-aged students.
Methods
ECHO hosted five career fairs in Aurora County from December 2024 to
November 2025 at libraries and schools with most students qualifying for free
or reduced-price lunches. The event offered four activities centered on
various body systems and medical specialties. Activities were led by 2-4
medical student or physician volunteers from the University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus. Following participation in the fair, participants
answered anonymous post-pre surveys that assessed interest in offered
activities and medical specialties before and after the career fair.
Responses were analyzed using multinomial regression through R.
Results
98 elementary and middle school students participated in and completed
post-pre surveys at five ECHO career fairs. When controlled for event setting
(library, school) and language the form was completed in (English, Spanish),
participants were nearly three times as likely to respond “Yes” in comparison
to “No” to the question “I am interested in a career where I grow up to be a
doctor” following completion of ECHO activities (OR=2.64, p=0.0027). There
was no significant difference in reported healthcare career interest in a
school versus library setting or among languages.
Conclusions
Our post-pre survey results indicate a significant increase in healthcare
career interest following participation in the ECHO career fair curriculum.
By creating opportunities for students surrounding the University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus to engage in healthcare career-centered learning
experiences, ECHO can foster the curiosity of youth towards the pursuit of
healthcare careers in their professional futures.
Early exploration can strongly influence children’s career development.
Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward (ECHO) is a free community
outreach program aimed towards introducing basic physiological concepts and
increasing exposure to careers in healthcare through hands-on experiments.
The primary purpose is to increase healthcare career interest in elementary
and middle school-aged students.
Methods
ECHO hosted five career fairs in Aurora County from December 2024 to
November 2025 at libraries and schools with most students qualifying for free
or reduced-price lunches. The event offered four activities centered on
various body systems and medical specialties. Activities were led by 2-4
medical student or physician volunteers from the University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus. Following participation in the fair, participants
answered anonymous post-pre surveys that assessed interest in offered
activities and medical specialties before and after the career fair.
Responses were analyzed using multinomial regression through R.
Results
98 elementary and middle school students participated in and completed
post-pre surveys at five ECHO career fairs. When controlled for event setting
(library, school) and language the form was completed in (English, Spanish),
participants were nearly three times as likely to respond “Yes” in comparison
to “No” to the question “I am interested in a career where I grow up to be a
doctor” following completion of ECHO activities (OR=2.64, p=0.0027). There
was no significant difference in reported healthcare career interest in a
school versus library setting or among languages.
Conclusions
Our post-pre survey results indicate a significant increase in healthcare
career interest following participation in the ECHO career fair curriculum.
By creating opportunities for students surrounding the University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus to engage in healthcare career-centered learning
experiences, ECHO can foster the curiosity of youth towards the pursuit of
healthcare careers in their professional futures.
Presentation Tag(s)
Student Travel Award Winner, Student Presentation