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Supporting Educational Opportunities for High School Students

Supporting Educational Opportunities for High School Students. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., MPH, M.ED Executive Director Boston Public Health Commission. Racial Disparities in Boston. Health Indicator Black White Asthma (< 5, hosp) 11.4 per 1000 3.4

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Supporting Educational Opportunities for High School Students

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  1. Supporting Educational Opportunities for High School Students Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., MPH, M.ED Executive Director Boston Public Health Commission

  2. Racial Disparities in Boston Health Indicator Black White Asthma (< 5, hosp) 11.4 per 1000 3.4 Birth Weight (Less than 3.3lbs) 3.0% of births 1.6% Body Weight (Overweight or Obese) 68% 41% Breast Cancer (Morality) 29.7 per 100,000 25.9 Cervical Cancer (Mortality) 5.6 per 100,000 2.3 Death Rate (Mortality) 1116.8 per 100,000 919.6 Diabetes (Mortality) 41.8 per 100,000 16.6 Drug Related Mortality 15.7 per 100,000 19 Heart Disease (Mortality) 239.6 per 100,000 238.1 High Blood Pressure 30.4% 17.2% HIV / AIDS (Mortality) 28.1 per 100,000 6.8 Homicide 27.2 per 100,000 2.2 Hospitalization 163.8 per 1000 108.9 Infant Mortality (Mortality) 8.7 per 1000 4.1 Lung Cancer (Mortality) 61.6 per 100,000 66.2 Prostate Cancer (Mortality) 68.3 per 100,000 31.2 Smoking during pregnancy 6.3% 5.1% Suicide (Mortality) 3.6 6.2 Teen Birth Rate (15 - 17) 14.1 per 1,000 6 Uninsured 9.2% 6.5%

  3. Emerging Role of a Health Department • Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes requires new strategies and programming that address root causes of inequities -- Workforce development -- Positive Youth Development

  4. Preparing Students for Health Careers • Core academic skills: literacy, math, science, critical thinking • Organizational skills: ‘habits of the mind’ • Enrichment opportunities: lab sciences, project-based learning, ‘mini-courses’, career explorations, college courses, leadership development • Work experiences: internships, summer jobs

  5. Partnering with the Health Department 1. Strengthen core academic skills • Encourage health department staff to volunteer as tutors • Offer academic support in all health department youth development activities (MCAS support, homework assistance) • Link health education programming to the curriculum standards for reading and writing

  6. Partnering with the Health Department 2. Offer enrichment opportunities • Partner with science teachers to offer ‘mini-courses’ and guest ‘lectures’ • Provide mentors to help with science projects • Invite students to visit public health programs/staff • Provide funding to support labs and technology • Establish a youth council or youth advisory board for the health department

  7. Partnering with the Health Department 3. Provide work experiences • Articulate ‘standards’ for internship programs that prepare students for health careers • Offer meaningful internships to high school students that include ‘job readiness training’ • Facilitate student internships with hospitals and health care providers

  8. Supporting Healthy Youth Development • Understanding adolescent development • Promoting healthy bodies/healthy minds • Teaching strategies for conflict resolution, managing anger, and dealing with trauma • Building a culture of opportunity and peace

  9. Partnering with the Health Department • Understand adolescent development • Utilize health department health educators/nurses to offer workshops for parents/family members and teachers • Distribute health education materials to families and students

  10. Partnering with the Health Department 2. Promote healthy bodies/healthy minds • Partner with health department to integrate relevant information in science classes • Promote healthy eating options in school breakfast/lunch programs • Offer ample time for students to engage in physical activity, including non-traditional forms of activity (‘instant recess’) • Invite health educators/counselors to sponsor workshops and facilitate groups with students

  11. Partnering with the Health Department 3. Teach strategies for conflict resolution, anger management, and coping with trauma • Link with the health department to offer peer leadership and conflict resolution training • Identify resources for supporting students who are dealing with loss and/or are victims of violence

  12. Partnering with the Health Department 4. Build a culture of opportunity and peace • Leverage resources of other institutions to support activities for students • Create a school-based youth council to give students a voice and opportunity to participate in setting policy and addressing challenges

  13. Institute of Medicine United States is rapidly becoming a more diverse nation, as demonstrated by the fact that non-white racial and ethnic groups will constitute a majority of the American population later in this century. Increasing racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is important because evidence indicates that diversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better educational experiences for health professions students, among many other benefits. In the Nation's Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce

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