School of Public Health students serve the community
The School of Public Health’s Office of Academic Services has been working with several local nonprofits this semester to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable members.
The school in The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is partnering with Tarrant Area Food Bank, United Way, American Heart Association-Tarrant County Heart Walk and The Welman Project to help lead Fort Worth into becoming a healthier community.
Dr. Shafik Dharamsi, dean of the school, said his school’s service aligns with HSC’s serve others first value. As a school, students, faculty and staff strive to live this value, he added.
“Our School of Public Health is focused on preparing the 21st-century public health workforce to be community driven in its work and partnering with nonprofit and private sectors to address health disparities, prevent disease and improve living conditions,” he said. “It’s really about working alongside our communities to create conditions in which we can all live healthy and fulfilling lives.”
The school’s students have completed 281 hours of community service from the start of the fall semester through October. Here are some highlights:
- 16 students volunteered with the Tarrant Area Food Bank to sort and distribute food to local communities.
- 18 students participated in the United Way Notecard Project. They created 65 cards full of warm wishes for long-term care residents.
- 11 students volunteered to help with day-of-event logistics for the 2022 American Heart Association-Tarrant County Heart Walk.
- 16 students volunteered with the Welman Project to sort and accept donated classroom and school items.
Recently, the Public Health Student Government Association participated in the HSC Fall Festival — a family event filled with fun activities sponsored by university departments and student organizations. The association hosted a ring toss activity, gave away prizes and handed out treats.
Students in the School of Public Health will finish the semester by participating in two community service projects, including the Nov. 4 Trinity River Cleanup.
The students adopted a section of the Trinity River as a part of the Adopt-A-River Program to support the program’s mission of creating a cleaner and more sustainable Trinity River for future generations. A group of faculty, staff and students will spend the afternoon removing debris from the school’s adopted area. Linda Wolff, a Master of Public Health student, organized the Trinity River Cleanup and will be co-leading the cleanup effort the day of the event.
SPH will end the year supporting HSC and the Remote Access Medical, or RAM, clinic Dec. 3 and 4 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center in Dallas.
“Public health is about the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of our communities,” Dharamsi said. “Serving the community allows our students to identify important public health concerns, such as social, economic and environmental factors that impact the quality and conditions of life.”
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