Students from the Colleges of Health Sciences, Pharmacy and Nursing teach and interact with younger students at high school’s health fair
Students from all three University of Rhode Island health colleges imparted some health wisdom on their younger counterparts during a health fair at South Kingstown High School recently.
More than 80 URI students from Pharmacy, Nursing, Human Development and Family Science, Communicative Disorders, Nutrition and Physical Therapy helped educate high school students during an interprofessional presentation last week. The students prepared interactive activities and games that tackled such topics as substance misuse, nutrition, injury prevention, sexual health, and mental and emotional health.
The URI students conducted balance and strength tests, imparted nutritional information about energy drinks and sports supplements, and offered advice on stress, anxiety, drinking, dating violence and more. They organized games to play with the students, including trivia games, “Healthy Skin Jeopardy,” and “Health Fact Jenga,” organized a stress ball-making activity, and led physical fitness contests, all with the goal of interacting with the high school students while helping them lead overall healthier lives.
The students from the three colleges worked together in the weeks leading up to the health fair to prepare their presentations, often working with students from other health disciplines. The result was a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program that helped educate the high school students, as well as themselves, according to Pharmacy Clinical Professor Kelly Matson, who helped organize the event.
“It’s part of URI’s interprofessional education program, bringing together students from different disciplines to teach and learn from each other,” Matson said. “Health care in general has become more and more interdisciplinary. This is a great way for students to work together for the benefit of the high school students, while at the same time being exposed to other health disciplines.”
