Raising the Bar to Healthy Lifestyles What is the and Choices. HBCU Wellness Project? Abbreviated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), the HBCU Wellness Project is an intervention designed to utilize the human and social capital at Tennessee HBCU to promote health and modify risks for chronic diseases among individuals living in the surrounding communities. The primary goal of the HBCU Wellness Project is to leverage educational and service- oriented resources at HBCUs to positively impact the health and well being of Tennessee residents. Project Objectives: • Conduct needs assessments for local communities and campuses. • Enhance the capacity of faculty to integrate service learning into the curricula. • Recruit, train and guide student health ambassadors to develop health and wellness projects to promote readiness for change. • Assess short and long term outcomes of service learning activities in communities of color. • Develop and maintain a pipeline of students of color interested in entering health professions workforce. The 2015-2016 participating HBCUs include: Fisk University, Lane College, and LeMoyne-Owen College. HBCU WELLNESS PROJECT ~ 1 Healthy choices start with our youth! Student Health Ambassadors Student Research Service Learning Student health ambassadors (SHAs) are full time students The SHAs take pride in being able to touch the community Service Learning is a system of structured learning opportunities who attend one of the participating Historically Black through their work on disparities plaguing our minority and experiences in local communities that expose students to the Colleges or Universities associated with the HBCU communities. As health promotion and disease prevention real-life problems and concerns of stakeholders. Students become Wellness Project. SHAs are exposed to service learning advocates, they disseminate health information on topics civically engaged through active participation, collaboration, problem-solving and providing community service. In this that will enable them to work with local health and social associated with health priority areas for communities regard, students are given an opportunity to connect what they service agencies in addition to serving of color, using evidence based methods shown to be have learned in the classroom with their actual communities as community representatives. In this effective in targeted communities. As part of their research, experiences and facilitate that connection through journaling role, SHAs will positively impact the the SHAs participate in community and campus events and reflection. It differs from traditional learning because it: health and well being of underserved to further increase their knowledge of a particular health • Strives to achieve a balance between community residents in culturally disparity. With access to the community, SHAs are service and learning objectives sensitive an culturally relevant ways. able to disseminate information on local resources that will provide guidance • Places emphasize on addressing community concerns SHA Key Roles: to the community participants. The • Involves community partners • SHA are health promotion and local resources are usually nonprofit • Emphasizes reciprocal communication and laerning disease prevention advocates organizations that focus on particular • Emphasizes reflection disparities that affect minority • SHA are change agents communities. These organizations are • Development of civic engagement and responsibility who work with community identified as community partners. partners and residents Community Based • SHA are trained to investigate The community partners help the SHA key community health issues Participatory Research (CBPR) identify underlying causes of health The SHAs are trained to incorporate community based participatory through extensive study. inequalities in communities of color. research into their studies. According to the Community Health With partnership, the community Scholars Program, CBPR is a “collaborative approach to research partner is able to gain an independent that equitably involves all partners in the research process and perspective on their resources while recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with “The HBCU Wellness Project giving the SHA insight on their research. a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim not only taught me about Together, the goal is to increase health of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change.” health disparities, but I was protective behaviors in communities; also able to meet students empower residents through education, from other colleges and information and skills; and build activities that will lead to long-term solutions for social incorporate ideas for our “I became a SHA because I want to be able to cater community projects.” and/or environmental factors that contribute to disease development, disability and early death. to my community and other communities that look ~ Nayriah Johnson like mine; and the research and resources I’ve gained Student Health Ambassador Lane College through this program will help me do that.” ~ Ciera Gray Student Health Ambassador LeMoyne-Owen College 2 ~ HBCU WELLNESS PROJECT HBCU WELLNESS PROJECT ~ 3 “I currently serve as the Project allowed me to excel academically and Director for the research component professionally. Today, I am equipped to of the Nashville Children Eating Well help create healthier lifestyles in a society (CHEW) for Health Project in the Center where prevention is now the primary for Prevention Research at Tennessee focus in global health initiatives. I also State University. The HBCU Wellness plan to become more qualified as a Project was a major turning point in public health practitioner by pursuing a my undergraduate career because it Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree. established a foundation for my future. The HBCU Wellness Project offers a The training provided me with knowledge variety of options to students in various in ethics, community-based participatory Jacquelyn Favours majors. Oftentimes, when students are research (CBPR), Institutional Review Former Student Health Ambassador interested in health they are directed Board (IRB) procedures, health disparities, Fisk University to the medical profession in hopes of policy, health communications and The Impact Class of 2013 becoming a physician or dentist. Yet, the health promotion. As well, my time as a program allowed me to explore health Student Health Ambassador within the in a way that I had not before, while also program allowed me to give back to my gaining practical experience. The HBCU HBCU and the local community through Where are they now? Wellness Project provided knowledge, initiatives that targeted health disparities skills, and experience that are typically in minority populations, such as infant unprecedented on HBCU campuses in mortality. The HBCU Wellness Project Tennessee. Ultimately, I hope to see this taught me that there is more to health program in existence and fully-funded than just treatment and medicine. During for years to come so, other students the program, I developed an interest aspiring to work in the health field will in prevention and went on to obtain a a Doctor of in Tennessee, but dental schools in gain an opportunity that can help carve “I am currently degree in public health. I believe the Dental Surgery and Doctor of Philosophy Tennessee are limited, and they tend the path for their future career.” experience gave me a unique edge that student in the Oral and Craniofacial to focus more on primary care, than Sciences Department at the University research. Hopefully, if a job opportunity of California-San Francisco. The HBCU arises in Tennessee, I would consider Wellness Project allowed me to explore it; otherwise I have to go where the job opportunities present themselves. my initial interest in health care. As a “I am currently a second year confidence in decision making, and sophomore, the project put me in a health the opportunity to gain access to health Either way, I hope the HBCU Wellness dental student at Meharry Medical care environment where I was able to related topics presented by other scholars Project continues because I feel any College’s School of Dentistry in Nashville, get hands on experience and learn how outside of my home university. person interested in health care should TN. My experience with the HBCU health disparities affect America. I feel Wellness Project greatly exposed me to Erin Malone be encouraged to create a project. The Often times, being at a small institution, the HBCU Wellness Project benefited me the field of research, networking and Former Student Health Ambassador project elicits community service, work particularly a small private institution like by guiding me through an IRB approved the realm of public health. My focus Tennessee State University related experience, and usually is a health Fisk, it is really difficult to understand project during my undergrad years. Going during the HBCU Wellness Project Class of 2015 disparity a person is passionate in. I feel how much impact you have or rather through the process on how to create an stemmed from my high school experience being a great educator is the foundation what tools they have provided you to educational intervention and executing the working with Girls Incorporated on to being a great medical provider. Also, showcase to the entire world. Having wellness project gave