“The Urban Service Track students bring a welcoming energy and enthusiasm to our Keney Park Pop-Up events,” says Herb Virgo, founder/executive director, Keney Park Sustainability Project (KPSP), a Hartford-based organization that helps families become more self-sustainable and environmentally conscious. “The empathy that the students express when they are doing health assessments and health teaching comes out and children and parents trust them. And that trust is a key factor in the success of our program.”
The Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars Program (UST/AS) is a two-year add-on curriculum available to UConn students in the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Social Work, and Quinnipiac University’s Physician Assistant Program. It is managed out of the Connecticut Area Health Education Center Network office at UConn Health in Farmington. The program offers didactic and community experiences that are designed to produce qualified and compassionate healthcare professionals for Connecticut’s urban and rural communities.
Health screenings and educational outreach at community events are a mainstay of UST/AS. In the fall and summer of 2025, UST/AS students had 2,466 community member encounters. They measured 478 blood pressures, checked 450 blood sugars, and did 138 oral screenings. In addition, they handed out 287 sun/heat kits, 198 mosquito/tick bags and 211 pedometers and taught 894 people about nutrition, and 310 children about oral health.
“We have been working with the same community partners for decades and our relationships are based on shared values, goals, and outcomes,” says Cecil Tengatenga, associate director, CT AHEC. “Our partners are too many to call out individually but include municipalities, schools, local and state health departments, faith-based groups, non-profits providing outreach in the community, as well as healthcare organizations providing services and resources to under-resourced communities.”
As an example, for thirteen years UST/AS students have conducted health assessments and health education at the Ollie M. Williams Community Health and Wellness Fair, one of Hartford’s largest grassroots holistic wellness events. Geneva Williams, the Fair’s organizer, says UST/AS has been instrumental in the continued success of this annual initiative. “The students have volunteered their time, energy and expertise at the Fairs, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to community health. Their presence has not only brought essential services to countless families but also fostered trust and partnership between future healthcare professionals and the neighborhoods they serve.”
Katie Biggs, who serves on the Board of Directors for another organization UST/AS has partnered with for over five years, Angel of Edgewood, said her organization partners with groups that want to help people and “UST/AHEC is 100% one of those organizations.” UST/AS students work with families at their events throughout the year, including the popular Back-to-School event at Dunkin Park in Hartford that attracts hundreds of families. “The students are approachable and the children get to know them by name. They trust them,” said Biggs.
Williams also recognizes the profound impact that this trust-building has on the community. “UST/AS serves as a bridge between medical education and community healing, empowering students to embrace the true calling of a community healthcare provider—one who listens, serves and uplifts.” She says the students are also positive role models for community youth. “By interacting with UConn and Quinnipiac healthcare students during the health fairs, local students have seen firsthand that they, too, can chart a path toward medicine. This exposure has sparked genuine aspirations among youth, with many expressing a newfound desire to become doctors and serve their communities.”
At these community events, UST/AS students not only conduct health screenings and educate community members, they also organize and manage their booths. “The most recent UST/AS service activity I led was an oral health education event at a senior center in Waterbury,” says Taylor Roy, UST/AS cohort 18 from the UConn School of Nursing. “Although I was initially nervous, the event exceeded my expectations. We connected with many community members, distributed oral health resources, and answered questions about dental health and hygiene. I was also able to engage meaningfully with participants through in-depth conversations. Additionally, I enjoyed collaborating with students from another program who provided oral health screenings, as well as working with the senior center staff. This experience ultimately became one of my favorite events I have participated in, and I would love the opportunity to lead it again in the future,” says Roy.
Omar Afifi, UST/AS cohort 18 from the UConn School of Dental Medicine, honed his teaching and leadership skills when he led the Nutrition Detectives event at a partner elementary school where the UST/AS students taught second and third graders how to make better food choices in a fun and engaging way. “I learned how to adapt and present essential nutrition concepts to elementary school–aged students, including how to read nutrition labels and distinguish between foods to avoid, limit, or prioritize. Working as part of a large team also strengthened my communication and leadership skills,” said Afifi.
“Organizations are happy to work with us/our students because we are a trusted partner who shares their values and we always show up,” says Tengatenga. “Typically, over the course of a year, UST/AS students will bring their passion and talents to more than 4,000 community members statewide. In 2024, the Urban Service Track reached a community-benefit milestone of $1 million dollars based on student volunteerism in under-resourced communities,” adds Tengatenga.
Reflecting upon the 13 years UST/AS has partnered with Ollie M. Williams Community Health and Wellness Fair, Williams said “it is clear that the legacy of UST/AS students extend far beyond medical care. Through their service, representation, and compassionate engagement, they have sparked transformation in individuals and communities alike. The ripple effect of their efforts will continue to inspire future generations, making the dream of a more diverse and equitable healthcare landscape a reality.”
