JACKSONVILLE, Florida – The University of North Florida’s MedNexus has chosen four Duval County Public Schools high school teams for the second annual DCPS Innovation Challenge, a student contest focused on opioid awareness. The teams come from Mandarin High School, Jean Ribault High School, Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon School for Advanced Studies.
UNF MedNexus picked the four teams from 45 applications that came from eight Duval County high schools. The challenge theme is “Friends First: Early Action for Opioid Awareness.”
Students will develop peer-focused ideas that promote opioid awareness, identify early warning signs of misuse and connect young people with support.
Mentors and a public pitch
UNF faculty mentors will guide the teams. Students will build their research, collaboration, problem-solving and presentation skills before they present their ideas at a public pitch competition on November 12 at the FSCJ Deerwood Center.
The district said the number of applications reflects student interest in creating peer-focused solutions for opioid awareness.
“Opportunities like the UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge allow our students to take what they are learning and apply it to issues that affect their own generation,” said Paula Renfro, DCPS chief academic officer. “Our students bring valuable perspectives and tremendous creativity to the table, and we are excited to see the ideas they develop when given the opportunity, mentorship, and resources to turn those ideas into action.”
Healthcare scholarship drawing
The same event will include a separate MedNexus Future Healthcare Scholarship Drawing. It will award renewable scholarships to five eligible DCPS seniors.
Each scholarship is worth up to $2,500 per year for up to four years, for a maximum of $10,000 per recipient. The money supports eligible students who plan to attend UNF and pursue approved healthcare-connected majors.
About the organizers
UNF MedNexus says it connects university talent and discovery with regional partners to build workforce pipelines, advance healthcare innovation and strengthen Northeast Florida.
DCPS serves more than 125,000 students in Jacksonville and is one of the largest public school districts in the nation. For more education news in the region, see our coverage.