Community Health Course Offers Practical Learning Experience

Students from Dr. Robert Feldman's Principles of Community Health class are hosting a Spring health fair at the School of Public Health this Thursday, April 28. The following article was written by students in the course about their experiences planning the fair.

How many students does it take to get to the center of a healthy campus? One, two….YOU! This slogan, reminiscent of the Tootsie Pop slogan, is being used by Dr. Robert Feldman’s HLTH391 Principles of Community Health I class to help advertise their “Spring Back into Health” Fair.

In addition to lecture-based learning, students in HLTH391 are required to plan and execute a health fair as part of their curriculum. Though Dr. Feldman’s section this semester is smaller than average, the class is still able to carry out the same duties as would be required by a larger class.

The class is divided into five committees, each of which is responsible for performing a specific role for the implementation of the fair. The members of each committee collaborate with each other, members of other committees, and campus resources to ensure a successful and smoothly operated health fair. The committees, each consisting of two to three students, perform different tasks such as outlining the topics of highest importance on campus, advertising, renting the necessary equipment for the day, setting and cleaning up, and providing an assessment of the success of the fair for the Department of Behavioral and Community Health.

In addition to the multiple duties that the students must carry out for their committees, each student is individually responsible for creating an engaging and unique display about a specific health issue. These issues, as determined by a needs assessment, include nutrition, exercise, stress, alcohol, safety, and many more.

Though it may seem daunting for the HLTH391 students to assume all these responsibilities, the hands-on experience attained from such an endeavor provides students with the organizational and research skills that can be utilized in many other public and community health positions that the students will eventually pursue. The class would like to thank Dr. Feldman, the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, and the School of Public Health for their help and support throughout this process.

The class would also like to invite the members of the UMD community to their health fair, which will take place on Thursday April 28, 2011 from 2-5pm on the Ground Floor of the School of Public Health. Free food, giveaways, door prizes, and fun activities will be provided in addition to the informational displays. We look forward to seeing you there!