{"id":209475,"date":"2024-02-12T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T12:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=209475"},"modified":"2024-02-07T15:31:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T20:31:17","slug":"allied-health-sciences-launches-hands-on-health-education-program-at-uconn-waterbury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2024\/02\/allied-health-sciences-launches-hands-on-health-education-program-at-uconn-waterbury\/","title":{"rendered":"Allied Health Sciences Launches Hands-On Health Education Program at UConn Waterbury"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a growing number of Americans suffer from chronic illness and the need for workers in the health care field continues to increase, UConn Waterbury has launched an innovative program that gives local middle schoolers a hands-on experience with science and health education.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-209097 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/cahnr_10th_blue-green-300x139.png\" alt=\"CAHNR 10th Anniversary of Health badge\" width=\"300\" height=\"139\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/139;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Combining the city\u2019s initiatives to expand the local health care workforce with the Waterbury campus\u2019 focus on community outreach and engagement, the Allied Health Science (AHS) Major\u2019s Hands-on Health project is a collaboration among UConn Waterbury students, Allied Health Sciences faculty, Waterbury public school students, and WPS district administration and faculty.<\/p>\n<p>Led by Tamara Kaliszewski, APIR and AHS Waterbury faculty lead, undergraduate students enrolled in a health education independent study host weekly STEM field trips on campus for Waterbury seventh graders.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wonderplugingallery-container\" id=\"wonderplugingallery-container-427\" style=\"max-width:960px;margin:0 auto;\"><div class=\"wonderplugingallery\" id=\"wonderplugingallery-427\" data-galleryid=\"427\" data-width=\"960\" data-height=\"540\" data-skin=\"gallery\" data-playsinline=\"false\" data-mutevideo=\"false\" data-random=\"false\" data-autoslide=\"false\" data-autoplayvideo=\"false\" data-schemamarkup=\"false\" data-stopallplaying=\"false\" data-reloadonvideoend=\"false\" data-donotuseposter=\"false\" data-enabletabindex=\"false\" data-loadnextonvideoend=\"false\" data-hidetitlewhenvideoisplaying=\"false\" data-disablehovereventontouch=\"false\" data-autoslideandplayafterfirstplayed=\"false\" data-html5player=\"true\" data-responsive=\"true\" data-fullwidth=\"false\" data-showtitle=\"true\" data-showdescription=\"true\" data-showplaybutton=\"true\" data-showfullscreenbutton=\"true\" data-showtimer=\"true\" data-showcarousel=\"true\" data-galleryshadow=\"false\" data-slideshadow=\"true\" data-thumbshowtitle=\"true\" data-thumbshadow=\"true\" data-lightboxshowtitle=\"true\" data-lightboxshowdescription=\"true\" data-specifyid=\"true\" data-donotinit=\"false\" data-addinitscript=\"false\" data-triggerresize=\"false\" data-thumbcolumnsresponsive=\"false\" data-thumbverticalmiddle=\"true\" data-removeinlinecss=\"true\" data-switchonmouseover=\"false\" data-showcategory=\"true\" data-showimgtitle=\"false\" data-titlesmallscreen=\"false\" data-initsocial=\"true\" data-showsocial=\"false\" data-showemail=\"false\" data-showfacebook=\"true\" data-showtwitter=\"true\" data-showpinterest=\"true\" data-socialrotateeffect=\"true\" data-doshortcodeontext=\"false\" data-loop=\"0\" data-duration=\"1500\" data-slideduration=\"1000\" data-slideshowinterval=\"6000\" data-googleanalyticsaccount=\"\" data-resizemode=\"fill\" data-imagetoolboxmode=\"mouseover\" data-effect=\"fade\" data-padding=\"12\" data-bgcolor=\"\" data-bgimage=\"\" data-thumbwidth=\"120\" data-thumbheight=\"60\" data-thumbgap=\"8\" data-thumbrowgap=\"16\" data-lightboxtextheight=\"72\" data-lightboxtitlecss=\"{color:#333333; font:bold 12px Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; overflow:hidden; white-space:normal; line-height:18px;}\" data-lightboxdescriptioncss=\"{color:#333333; font:normal 12px Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; overflow:hidden; white-space:normal; line-height:14px;}\" data-titlecss=\"{color:#ffffff; font-size:14px; font-family:Armata, sans-serif, Arial; overflow:hidden; text-align:left; padding:10px 0px 10px 10px; background:rgb(102, 102, 102) transparent; background:rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.6);}\" data-descriptioncss=\"{color:#ffffff; font-size:13px; font-family:Armata, sans-serif, Arial; overflow:hidden; text-align:left; padding:0px 0px 10px 10px; background:rgb(102, 102, 102) transparent; background:rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.6);}\" data-titleheight=\"72\" data-titlesmallscreenwidth=\"640\" data-titleheightsmallscreen=\"148\" data-socialmode=\"mouseover\" data-socialposition=\"position:absolute;top:8px;right:8px;\" data-socialpositionlightbox=\"position:absolute;top:8px;right:8px;\" data-socialdirection=\"horizontal\" data-socialbuttonsize=\"32\" data-socialbuttonfontsize=\"18\" data-defaultvideovolume=\"1\" data-thumbtitleheight=\"24\" data-thumbmediumtitleheight=\"48\" data-thumbsmalltitleheight=\"72\" data-categoryheight=\"36\" data-categorydefault=\"all\" data-triggerresizedelay=\"100\" data-thumbmediumsize=\"800\" data-thumbsmallsize=\"480\" data-thumbmediumwidth=\"64\" data-thumbmediumheight=\"64\" data-thumbsmallwidth=\"48\" data-thumbsmallheight=\"48\" data-imgtitle=\"title\" data-categorystyle=\"dropdown\" data-categorylist=\"[{&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Show All&quot;}]\" data-jsfolder=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/plugins\/wonderplugin-library\/engine\/\" style=\"display:none;\" ><a class=\"html5galleryimglink\" href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4590.jpg\" data-mediatype=1><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"html5galleryimg html5gallery-tn-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4590-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).\" data-title=\"UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers\" data-description=\"Seventh grade students explore the anatomy of the heart during sheep heart dissection at UConn Waterbury ( Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\"><\/a><div class=\"html5gallery-info\"><div class=\"html5gallery-alt\">Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-title\">UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-description\">Seventh grade students explore the anatomy of the heart during sheep heart dissection at UConn Waterbury ( Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)<\/div><\/div><a class=\"html5galleryimglink\" href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4604.jpg\" data-mediatype=1><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"html5galleryimg html5gallery-tn-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4604-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).\" data-title=\"UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers\" data-description=\"UConn students Leslie Akuffo and Nadjhae Mears teach blood pressure measurement and the long-term benefits of maintaining a healthy BP (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\"><\/a><div class=\"html5gallery-info\"><div class=\"html5gallery-alt\">Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-title\">UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-description\">UConn students Leslie Akuffo and Nadjhae Mears teach blood pressure measurement and the long-term benefits of maintaining a healthy BP (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)<\/div><\/div><a class=\"html5galleryimglink\" href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4622.jpg\" data-mediatype=1><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"html5galleryimg html5gallery-tn-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4622-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).\" data-title=\"UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers\" data-description=\"Middle school students create take-home models of blood and its components.  (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\"><\/a><div class=\"html5gallery-info\"><div class=\"html5gallery-alt\">Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-title\">UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-description\">Middle school students create take-home models of blood and its components.  (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)<\/div><\/div><a class=\"html5galleryimglink\" href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4643.jpg\" data-mediatype=1><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"html5galleryimg html5gallery-tn-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4643-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).\" data-title=\"UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers\" data-description=\"Seventh grade students practice blood pressure measurement (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\"><\/a><div class=\"html5gallery-info\"><div class=\"html5gallery-alt\">Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-title\">UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-description\">Seventh grade students practice blood pressure measurement (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)<\/div><\/div><a class=\"html5galleryimglink\" href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4638.jpg\" data-mediatype=1><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"html5galleryimg html5gallery-tn-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20231114_WaterburyCampus_AlliedHealth2023_4J6A4638-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).\" data-title=\"UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers\" data-description=\"Students listen to heart sounds and measure heartrate (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\"><\/a><div class=\"html5gallery-info\"><div class=\"html5gallery-alt\">Waterbury middle school students participate in hands-on health learning activities at UConn Waterbury (UConn Waterbury Photo).<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-title\">UConn Waterbury offers hands-on learning for middle schoolers<\/div><div class=\"html5gallery-description\">Students listen to heart sounds and measure heartrate (Steve Bustamante \/ UConn Waterbury Photo)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><script>function wondergallery_427_appendcss(csscode) {var head=document.head || document.getElementsByTagName(\"head\")[0];var style=document.createElement(\"style\");head.appendChild(style);style.type=\"text\/css\";if (style.styleSheet){style.styleSheet.cssText=csscode;} else {style.appendChild(document.createTextNode(csscode));}};wondergallery_427_appendcss(\"#wonderplugingallery-427 .html5gallery-cat-selection-427 { \tbox-sizing: border-box; \ttext-align: center; }  #wonderplugingallery-427 .html5gallery-cat-selection-427 select { \tbox-sizing: border-box; \tmargin: 4px auto; }\");<\/script>\n<p>Groups of 30-50 middle schoolers and their teachers spend a half-day rotating through stations of hands-on cardiovascular system activities, designed and presented by the undergraduates. Goals of the program include stimulating interest in health and health care careers, augmenting the 7<sup>th<\/sup> grade science curriculum of organ system study with materials and activities not available in the classroom, introducing area students to UConn Waterbury, and providing UConn undergraduates with an experiential learning opportunity in health education and promotion.<\/p>\n<p>This spring, nine student groups from seven Waterbury middle schools are scheduled to visit, and 14 undergraduates are taking part in the health education independent study. Expansion of the project&#8217;s scope in academic year 2024-2025 is also planned, with an estimated 17 groups visiting campus and 750-800 7th grade students expected to be served.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Waterbury community and hopefully empower and educate the future generation,\u201d says Hida Ahamed \u201925 (CAHNR). \u201cBeing part of this project has helped boost my confidence as a student, leader, and future physician. The kids are just a blast to work with, and I can never forget the look of amazement that shines in their eyes when they learn something new and exciting. To me, that\u2019s what really makes our work worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Funding from the following grants has made this pilot phase of the project possible: Connecticut Community Foundation, Elizabeth Chase Foundation, UConn Waterbury Innovation Grant for Life-Transformative Education, and the CAHNR Teaching Enhancement Grant. Busing has been provided by Waterbury Public Schools, Verna Ruffin, Superintendent. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The project gives Waterbury middle schoolers a chance to learn firsthand from UConn students and faculty <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":209476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2296,2224,1715,2460,2231,2194,99,2235,90,2458,2234],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-209475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allied-health-sciences","category-cahnr","category-community-impact","category-faculty","category-health-well-being","category-new-haven-county","category-student-life","category-today-homepage","category-uconn-waterbury","category-undergraduates","category-university-life"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-10 07:54:48","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209475"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209679,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209475\/revisions\/209679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/209476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209475"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=209475"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=209475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}