Commonwealth University celebrates 10th year of service program in Harmons, Jamaica

Commonwealth University students have been traveling to Harmons, Jamaica, for 10 years to participate in a service-learning program. This year marks the first time that students from all three CU campuses - Lock Haven, Bloomsburg and Mansfield - traveled together for the program. In addition, students from the Clearfield campus and Harrisburg location of CU also joined them.

The program, led by professor Jennifer Bell and Dr. Amy Way, celebrated its 10-year anniversary this academic year. The team of students were a mix of undergraduates from audiology and speech-language pathology, biomedical science, health science and nursing, and graduate students in the physician assistant program. They conducted outreach in the two primary schools in the community, spending one-on-one time with children who needed extra support, applying fluoride varnish to teeth and delivering lessons on how germs spread, and the functions of the brain and eye.

Parents in the community were offered a student-led workshop where they learned about the heart, first aid and developmental assets for youth development. In addition, students built a house for a needy family and prepared a foundation for a future house to be built.

New to this year's program was a shadowing experience with physicians in five Jamaican health clinics. This was organized by the Jamaican Ministry of Health in Manchester Parish and provided students with the opportunity to enhance their learning of healthcare and access in Jamaica with first-hand experience.

"We were excited to be able to offer the shadowing experience this year," said Way. "This is the first time that this has been offered by the Ministry of Health and we are thankful for their partnership. Our students were enthusiastic, collaborative and engaged in every part of the service-learning program. They were excellent ambassadors of Commonwealth University well."

Students journaled throughout the week and reflected on each experience. The final reflection was to write a letter to a future student. One student wrote, "Obviously this trip is about healthcare in diverse locations such as Harmons, Jamaica, but it is so much more than that. I would say this experience, as much as it is about impacting the Harmons community, has a lot of self-growth and introspection associated with it. It was so rich and rewarding I would absolutely jump at any opportunity to do it again."

Another student wrote, "I want you to know how much your self-confidence will grow this week. To any future participant coming on this trip, the best advice I can give is to come with no expectations. Embrace the culture, engage in meaningful conversations with the Jamaicans, come with an open mind and write down fun memories, conversations and experiences to remember forever!"