The Healthiest Maryland Schools (HMS) Program is actively recruiting UMB students who are interested in participating in a student-based interprofessional after-school childhood obesity prevention program that will be implemented in six West Baltimore Schools (Furman L. Templeton Preparatory Academy, James McHenry, the Historic Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, Eutaw Marshburn Elementary School, Lakeland Elementary/Middle School and James McHenry Elementary Middle/School).
HMS is a multi-level intervention aimed at reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity by enhancing healthy eating active living opportunities for children in Kindergarten -5th grade.
• Each UMB student group will lead a group of 15 children for one hour at least one day each week (students are welcome to volunteer more than one day, as the program runs Monday-Thursday). To support the interprofesssional approach, UMB students will work in groups of 3-5 students from various disciplines.
• An evidence based curriculum will be used to guide UMB students as they work with the elementary children. Each lesson will focus on the importance of nutrition, followed by at least 20 minutes of a physical activity.
• UMB students will serve as mentors to the elementary children therefore; this service learning experience requires a full semester commitment.
• UMB students are required to attend a comprehensive orientation session that will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 9 am until 2 pm at the SOM Building-737 W. Lombard Street). Also, bi-monthly debriefing sessions will be held to support UMB students throughout the experience.
• UMB students may have the opportunity to work on additional projects with HMS such environmental changes within the schools, conducting presentations on how their respective discipline approaches childhood obesity or issues related to this problem, and etc.
• This is a unique opportunity to train future leaders in medicine, social work, nursing, pharmacy, law, dentistry, and public health. It is our hope that students will develop a lifetime understanding of the importance of interprofessional approaches that are needed to prevent and treat complex chronic diseases that have their origins in childhood, and that are also affected by social determinants of health.
To sign-up or for more information, please contact Erica Turner, Program Manager, eturner@peds.umaryland.edu.