A partnership between Eli Lilly and William Tennent High School provided six students with a paid summer internship to work on challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry. The students developed a healthcare app concept to raise awareness of clinical trials and increase participation. They presented their ideas at the Stanford Medicine X Conference, where their solutions were identified as being on par with professional consulting firms. If renewed, the program will expand to include another school and allow the students to build a prototype from their conceptual ideas. The story shows how committed schools, students, and industry can collaborate to solve 21st century problems through STEAM.

1. Above & Beyond --
WilliamTennent HS and Eli Lilly ProvideIncredibleOpportunity to Students
Thisis the stuff fromwhichgreatmovie scriptsemerge. A global pharmaceutical company –Eli Lilly,
headquartered inIndianapolis –partners witha local publichighschool inWarminster, BucksCounty, to
raise awareness andincrease participation ratesinclinical trials. Six students, withthe extraordinary
supportof theirteachers, principal andschool board, presenttheirideasata conference sponsored by
Stanford University andhave theirsolutions identified asonpar withthose presented byprofessional
consultingfirms!
Witha history of havingopened upaTruMark Financial CreditUnionbranchanda mini-ShopRite
supermarketatWilliamTennentHighSchool, Al Catarro, Ed. D., business education teacherand
partnershipguru,wasprimedforthe nextchallenge. TogetherwithSteve Beal,science leadteacher;
IgnacioJayo,anatomyand geneticsteachers;RenaFriedant,artteacher;andDennisH. Best,Ed. D.,
principal, the groupforged apartnershipwith Joseph Kim, MBA, senioradvisorforclinical innovation at
Lilly.
“We wantedthe studentstohave the abilitytoworkwithhigh-level healthcare professionalsandto
create somethingontheirownthatwas open-endedandhadapplicabilityinthe pharmaceutical
industry,”accordingtoJayo.
The school receivedagrant of $35,000 to developwhatapproximatedapaidinternshipforaseven-
weeksummercurriculumforsix juniorsandseniors whowereselectedfromapool of 100 applicants.
Chosenwere CaitlinHubmasterandJohnStarr,currentlyseniors,andWilliamBarker,JocelynGeorge,
Meghan Izakand JuliaRomanyszyn,all now college freshmen.
The pharma giantchallengedthese studentstotackle two issuesthatplague the entireindustry.The
task wasto raise awarenessof available clinicaltrials anddemystifythe processsothatmore people
wouldparticipate.These problems resultina$1 millionaday price tag foreverydaythe medicinesare
delayed,andmore sufferingforthe patientsthey’re intended tohelp.
Workingwiththeirteachers andKimoverthe summerof 2015, the students developed the conceptfor
a healthcare appand presented theirfindings atthe Stanford Medicine X Conference inPaloAlto, Cal.
lastSeptember.The conference servesasa catalystforadvancingmedicine, improvinghealth,and
empoweringpatientsthroughthe use of emergingtechnologies.Perhapsnotsurprisingly,the Tennent
studentswere the onlyhighschool presentersatone of largestpatient-centeredconferencesin the
world.
Withunencumberedmindsandtheir knowledgeof social media,the highschoolers usedarttocreate
an emotional connectionbetweenvolunteerpatientsandthe clinical trialsthatcould assistthem.They
alsodevelopedamultimediaapproachto improve trial participation.The results assistedthe Lilly team
to validate some ideas ithaddiscussed. AccordingtoKim, “Theygave usthe right lenstoput on when
we're thinkingaboutsolutions."

2. The school and itsbuddingentrepreneur scientists are currentlyawaitingconfirmation thatthe program
will be renewedthisyearand theyexpectitto expandtoa $100,000 grant.It would allow William
Tennent,anda newpartner,WisahickonHighSchool,tobuildaprototype fromthe conceptual ideas
createdlastsummer.Andovertime,the grouphas plansto continue expansion,witheachschool
bringingonan additional publichighschool partnereachsummer.
The story will continue tobe written,especiallyforthe studentswhoare receivingphenomenal
exposure toreal-worldchallenges, butthisisagreat example of how committedpublicschool teachers,
students,andindustryare bringing science,technology,engineering,artandmath (STEAM) togetherto
prepare the nextgenerationto solve 21st
centuryproblems.
(PLEASE IDENTIFY EVERYONE IN PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)
Back Row: Dr. Albert Catarro, Mr. Joe Kim, Ms. Rena Friedant,Mr. Steve Beal, Mr. Ignacio Jayo
From Row: Will Barker, JuliaRomanyszyn, MegIzak, JohnStarr, JocelynGeorge, CaitlynHubmaster
(L-R) XXXXX,XXXXX

3. Need(L-R) photo caption here too.
CaitlynHubmaster, John Starr, JoceylynGeorge

4. What are they doinghere?Preppingfor presentation?Thanks!
Here the studentsare checkingin for theirIgnite Talk. They are receivinginformationfrom one of the
Producers inregards to microphone,timing,lights,etc. . .