COM Outlook Spring 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 51 In December, students from the KPCOM’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health program traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to implement a public health project developed in partnership with the American Red Cross. During the fall semester, the students worked diligently to address a curricular gap in disaster preparedness for elementary school children. In addition to the undergraduate public health students, one D.O. and one Master of Public Health student participated. The team was led by Kristi Messer, M.P.H., LCSW, director of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program, and Shari Ramchal, M.P.H., student outreach coordinator, who served as mentors to the undergraduate students as they planned and implemented their project. While in New Orleans, the students volunteered with the American Red Cross to teach the Pillowcase Project to elementary school students. The Pillowcase Project engages young children, teaches them to prepare for natural disasters, and encourages them to speak with their parents to develop a family plan in response to natural and man-made disasters. The students also volunteered with Youth Rebuilding New Orleans (YRNO), a nonprofit focused on rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. YRNO heavily relies on volunteer labor to build the homes to keep costs low. The homes are then sold at a reduced cost to teachers, first responders, and other public service individuals. “I’m so glad I had the oppor- tunity to help in guiding these students through the develop- ment and execution of this out- reach project,” said first-year D.O. student Brooke Landry. “In the process, we gained such valuable insight about the people of New Orleans in terms of their culture, the hardships they’ve experienced, and the resilience of their community.” o Public Health Students Provide Outreach in New Orleans From left: Shari Ramchal, Joshua Dela Fuente, Valeria Malo, Taylor Klein, Brooke Landry, Alexandra Gomez, Kristi Messer, and Jasenia Beckford