Welcome to the the Wisconsin Health and Animal Science Initiative

A science education program funded by the University of Wisconsin Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment that extends the resources of the University of Wisconsin to over 600 northern Wisconsin students annually through classroom presentations, laboratories, and a one-week intensive animal science and medicine course.

WHASI History

WHASI builds on the success of two educational activities piloted in northern Wisconsin that used veterinary medicine as a tool to illustrate the pragmatic use of science. The first was day-long presentations and hands-on, case-based laboratories conducted at Park Falls Middle School for 6th-8th graders.  Students were given an introduction to medical education, problem solving, and basic skills in biology and medicine. The second was a week long summer animal health course taught to high school 11th and 12th graders through Northland College. This course was largely experiential, introducing topics in animal health with reading assignments, informal lectures and discussions, and following these up in-the-field at farms, veterinary clinics, zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers in northern Wisconsin. Both activities had the effect of promoting higher education and motivating a broad range of students.

WHASI Now

WHASI is continuing to evolve. Today it is still based in northern Wisconsin, offering a summer animal health course through Northland College, to high school students from local, national and international schools. The course is taught as a collaboration between academic and private institutions, providing a unique opportunity for students to see a cross section of the academic process and experience some of the tasks and skills that are part of the medical profession first hand. WHASI continues to provide teachers in northern Wisconsin with a local resource to encourage and mentor students expressing an interest in medical and animal-related fields.

For more information on WHASI, please e-mail WHASI director
Dr. Alexandra Brower at alexandra.brower@nottingham.ac.uk

If you are having problems reaching Dr. Brower, please try our Wisconsin-based UW faculty contact, Dr. Karen Young at youngk@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu

WHASI partners include seven 8-12^th grade science teachers in the Park Falls, Bayfield, Ashland and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School Systems, and faculty and staff at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, UW School of Veterinary Medicine and Northland College.