Promote health in 100 teens in Portland, Oregon

Students with Warner Pacific University’s (WP) Departments of Nursing and Physical Therapy usually train with each other to develop interpersonal skills that they’ll use in their future professions. Yet one group of students has taken on an added experience that places them directly inside a classroom of ninth graders to mentor young people toward healthy behaviors.

For Brian, who is studying occupational therapy at WP, his mentoring experience at De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC) has surprised and inspired him.

“One thing I noticed about the class is that they really get comfortable with us mentors very quickly,” he said. “After our session I had one student call out my name from down the hall as I was leaving and he just gave me a good bye wave which I thought was totally cool considering the fact that it was my first day as a mentor and I was only in the class room for about 40 minutes.”

His colleagues, all WP nursing students, arrive in their bright blue scrubs ready to share their excitement about health. They work together to create lessons and activities around a specific health topic each week. They’ve developed lessons on nutrition, exercise, how food affects the brain, ways to manage stress, understanding the current impact of COVID-19, and how to fact check sources.

The WP students take turns presenting the main topic of the day, then they gather in small groups with the DLSNC students to participate in activities and discussions. The smaller groups help promote discussions where everyone gets a chance to talk and share.

“It was interesting to see individual participation of some in smaller groups,” said WP mentor Emma. “They were more engaging, inquisitive, and well adjusted, compared to when they are in the full classroom.”

Her colleague Dev, also a nursing student at WP agreed. “By being in the small groups, the students were able to voice their opinion and participated more in the discussions.”

The ninth graders at DLSNC provide the WP students with genuine reactions about the lesson content and information, especially during their session about understanding health misinformation and sourcing.

Sienna said, “I learned that a lot of influencers promote unrealistic things.” Kim shared, “It’s important to fact check so you don’t spread misinformation accidently.” And Sam said that he learned that misinformation is bigger than he realized. “It’s important because it can cause frustration.”

For the WP mentors, their experience at DLSNC helps them build leadership skills and confidence in presenting health information to a younger audience. Belle said, “I like that the material is relatable to the students, which increases more engagement when prompted with questions.”

Such engagement helps foster positive relationships, which help build knowledge and trust. Your donations help foster this vital experience for both college and high school students. MIKE is thankful for your support to nurture our future healthcare professionals.

Links:

• MIKE Program website

MIKE Program encompasses more than science, youth development and health curriculum. We also embrace cultural values, ideas and perspectives to guide how we approach and advocate for good health. This summer, as we prepare for a new school year, we are amplifying our outreach to better reflect the needs and interests of those we serve.

MIKE works with high school students who stand within the intersectionality of our communities. We provide mentored health education to advance more equitable outcomes within communities experiencing higher rates of health disparities. We are enriched by the interactions, experiences and collaborations we share. We then internalize these contributions into our mentored health education content, lessons, activities and multi-media resources.

“I am so happy that you do what you do and people like you are making the difference that we need in our world, especially for these young people,” said Yemaly, a patient care coordinator with the Diabetes Clinic at Pacific University and a Food Promotora with Familias en Acción. Having faced the challenges exhibited by the students in a young parents group in Beaverton, Yemaly was able to speak directly to their needs. She had gained enough experience as a MIKE mentor in 2015 to seamlessly inspire and support the students this year.

MIKE took a more concentrated focus on health careers for our second group of high school students in Beaverton. By utilizing technology and community connections, we brought health professionals directly to the students. Professionals from more than a dozen different health fields shared their experiences, career advice and training tips. The opportunity to meet these individuals and ask spontaneous questions was so popular that several other classes joined in for a number of sessions.

“I greatly enjoyed this opportunity and have gained so much new insight during each of these sessions,” said Sahra, who mentored this group. “I think we’ve done a great job of exposing the students to such a broad range of careers and opportunities.”

By connecting students to health professionals that reflect their cultural and ethnic backgrounds and experiences, MIKE reinforces the importance of promoting diversity.

Why is this such a priority for MIKE? In a study conducted by a recent graduate of the University of Portland this spring, a lack of diversity contributed to additional challenges, both social and economic for underserved students. The study respondents noted that such challenges were deterring factors for pursuing careers in healthcare. MIKE partnered with the project to explore how the current level of disparities within Oregon’s healthcare system impacted students and health professionals.

“This project was more meaningful to me and MIKE Program than either of us could have hoped or imagined,” said Jordan, project lead for the study. “As a pre-med, it hurt deeply to read the dozens of comments that expressed such distrust in the healthcare system we have present today. I want to be a part of a generation of doctors that restores the faith in healthcare providers and the healthcare system as a whole.”

Jordan surveyed more than 760 individuals, including students from regional high schools and universities, to healthcare physicians, nurses and other technicians and patients. Many of the respondents pointed to a lack of diversity they saw in healthcare and the lack of mentoring as major barriers into the profession.

“I rarely see anyone of my same ethnicity (I have predominantly Mexican ancestry) working in healthcare facilities,” said one high school respondent. “If I had seen someone who shared my similar background, I would have felt way more comfortable.”

Of the high school students who are considering careers in healthcare, having a mentor to help guide them was the primary reason why they believed they could be successful in a healthcare career.

“I feel like having someone who’s black like me and understands my struggles, as well as there’s less of a chance with medical racist tendencies, will be great for me,” replied another respondent.

That’s why MIKE continues to build a network of diverse mentors and programming content. Donors like you help us reach these underserved students and inspire them to greater confidence to break through barriers. Your donation provides us with the resources to positively impact these young people.

Links:

• MIKE Program website