Cleveland Clinic Office of Civic Education Initiatives

eXpressions™ Language Program

FAQs for the eXpressions™ Language Program

About the Program

  1. What is the eXpressions™ Language Program? The eXpressions™ Language Program is an interdisciplinary program that utilizes written communication to engage high school students in the world of scientific research. Through project-based, peer-to-peer learning, students produce literary interpretations of research conducted by Cleveland Clinic summer interns. Tied to state and national academic standards, this innovative program gives participants a deeper, real-world understanding of language and science while promoting creativity, innovation, analytical thinking, and teamwork. Plus, it gives high school students and their teachers the opportunity to earn undergraduate and graduate credit, respectively, from Northeast Ohio universities.
  2. What are the criteria to participate? The program is available to all high school students; in order for a student to participate, though, the student's language arts or foreign language teacher must first register for the program. Only submissions from students whose teachers have officially enrolled in the program will be accepted for review.
  3. As a teacher, how do I register for the program? To register for the 2009/2010 program, teachers must visit www.clevelandclinic.org/eXpressionsLANGUAGE and complete the online Teacher Registration Form by September 11, 2009.
  4. Is there an eXpressions Language Program curriculum? Yes. The eXpressions™ Language Program curriculum is tied to Ohio and national academic standards in a variety of subjects. To download a copy of the curriculum, visit the Virtual Teacher Workshops web page.
  5. How can my students learn about one of the scientific research projects? The best way for your students to learn about a scientific research project is to have a summer intern from your high school deliver a classroom presentation. This will give your students the opportunity to speak directly with the intern, and to ask questions.
  6. How do I know if a student from my high school participated in a Cleveland Clinic internship? To find out if a student from your high school participated in a Cleveland Clinic internship over Summer 2009, visit www.clevelandclinic.org/eXpressionsLANGUAGE and click on the 2009 Intern List.
  7. I'm a language arts teacher at a school that did not have a student participate in an internship over the summer. Can my students and I still participate in the eXpressions Language Program? Yes. Schools that did not have a student participate in an internship over the summer will be able to access virtual student-research presentations through a program called mRi™: myRESEARCH illuminated. The mRi™ website is www.clevelandclinic.org/mRI.
  8. How can I become an intern? High school students interested in applying for a Cleveland Clinic summer internship with the Office of Civic Education Initiatives, should visit www.clevelandclinic.org/CivicEducation for guidelines and criteria.
  9. Are there any fees involved with participation in the eXpressions™ Language Program? There are no fees to participate.
  10. I am a senior in high school and I graduate next year. Can I still participate in the eXpressions™ Language Program? Yes, you can participate – as long as your teacher registers for the program.
  11. My teachers don't know about the eXpressions™ Language Program. Who can they contact to learn about the program? First ask your teachers to visit the eXpressions™ Language Program web site: www.clevelandclinic.org/eXpressionsLANGUAGE. If they still have questions after reviewing the online information, they can email Bryan Pflaum at pflaumb@ccf.org.

About the Process

  1. When does the program begin? The program kicks off September 11, 2009: the deadline for teacher registration.
  2. What are the criteria for submission? A complete list of submission criteria is available at the beginning of the Online Submission Form.
  3. Is this a competition? Yes. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of judges.
  4. What is the submission deadline for the eXpressions™ Language Program? The submission deadline for the 2009/2010 eXpressions™ Language Program is November 11, 2009.
  5. Who are the judges and what criteria do they use? The submissions will be judged by an esteemed panel of professional writers, language arts educators, and scientific researchers. All work submitted to Cleveland Clinic through the eXpressions™ Language Program will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
    • Interpretation
      • How effectively does the submission communicate one or more of the key issues surrounding the scientific research?
      • What problem or disease is the research trying to solve or cure, and what goals are trying to be achieved?
      • What took place in the laboratory or under the microscope?
      • How does this relate to the broader community?
    • Presentation
      • Does the author use correct spelling, appropriate grammar, and proper punctuation?
    • Technique and Form
      • How skilled is the author in the use of literary techniques, and how well does the piece of writing represent its particular literary form.
    • Creativity
      • How innovative is the author's interpretation of the scientific research?
  6. What do winners get? Selected pieces will receive a ribbon award. Each blue-ribbon winner will receive $100, each red-ribbon winner will receive $75, and each white-ribbon winner will receive $50. Ribbon-winning pieces will be published in an eXpressions™ booklet and displayed at an eXpressions™ exhibition. In addition, all teachers who mentor an award-winning student will receive a $100 educational grant.
  7. Is there a specific literary form that has to be used for submissions? No. Students are free to choose whatever literary form they prefer. Please see list of Literary Formats on the website. Foreign Language works with accompanying English translation are welcomed.
  8. Can I submit multiple pieces? A student may submit more than one piece of writing. Each submission, though, requires a separate submission form.
  9. Is there a specific language required for the eXpressions™ Language Program? No. A student may submit a literary work in any language provided the student is studying that language in school and the student's language teacher is enrolled in the eXpressions™ Language Program. For example, a student whose native language is English may submit a story in Spanish if the student is enrolled in a Spanish class and the student's Spanish teacher is enrolled in the eXpressions™ Language Program.
  10. I can't think of different formats for poetry or prose. Can you help? Visit www.clevelandclinic.org/eXpressionsLANGUAGE and click on the Literary Formats tab for ideas.