The First Step Experience in the College of Health Sciences gives students the opportunity to make a difference, to improve quality of life, and to impact the community by creating a healthier world. Become inspired to make change as you and your team explore challenges.

What is First Step?

First Step is an extracurricular program that runs from the fall through the end of the spring semester. Students are presented with a selection of health related problems that have been vetted by our community partners, and can sign up for the problem that inspires them. Students are then formed into interdisciplinary teams that participate in research to help solve that health related problem, and pitch their problem, with the details on the research they have conducted, at the Fall Problem Pitch. Teams that advance from the Fall Problem Pitch will be provided with seed funding for the spring semester to work on developing a concept to help solve the problem. Funds will be used over spring to assist with concept generation and prototyping. The First Step Grand Finale takes place in April where awards are presented to the winning teams, to continue with funding their concepts.