Kelly Hannah and Anne Bolduc, students in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior in the College of Public Health, organized a series of Learn and Serve Latino Health Care Seminars coordinated by the Office of International Public Service and Outreach during the fall semester of 2007.
On October 16th, two presenters were invited to the Pinewoods Estates Community Learning Center and Library located in the community of Pinewoods Estates North. The first presenter, Savannah Weaver, from Prevent Child Abuse Athens, was able to present her information in Spanish for the Spanish speaking audience due to her Peace Corps experience in Guatemala. She spoke about child-proofing the home, and providing a safe environment at home for children in a culturally relevant manner. Her discussion included information about items in the home that would be a danger to children, such as: chemicals that can be poisonous, objects that can be harmful, and medications that can be deadly. The audience participated by providing a list of things in their homes that they thought could potentially be a hazard to their children and Savannah then facilitated recommendations to avoid these dangers.
The second presenter, Julia Presuel, a Public Health Liaison from the Northeast Heath District, presented information on food safety. Julia was assisted by UGA graduate student interpreters from Mexico, Sonia Velasquez Guerrero and Diana Iris Santiago San Martin. Julia discussed five points for keeping your food products clean: check the food products for defects before purchasing, clean the products with water (not chemicals), separate fruits and vegetables from meats on the cutting board, cook meat fully to the appropriate temperature, and refrigerate leftovers at the appropriate temperature. Julia discussed the correct temperatures for cooking and storing food in-depth. She also gave out refrigerator thermometers for community members to monitor the temperature of their refrigerators in their own homes.
On November 6th, Fran Martin, a retired instructor at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing presented a seminar on allergic reactions to poison ivy, recognition and treatment. This was a very important seminar because many of the adults and children are exposed to poison ivy in their communities or at work. Since many residents do not recognize the plant, they occasionally experience severe reactions, and seek expensive medical treatment when exposed to the poisonous ivy. Fran began the seminar with a computer-aided display of how to recognize the plant by its characteristic three leaves and then went on to explain how to treat exposure to the poisonous plant. Finally, she explained which medications are appropriate to use following exposure to poison ivy.
Upon reflecting on the experience of coordinating health care seminars in the Pinewoods community, Anne Bolduc states, “I think these seminars are an effective and appropriate way to reach out to the Hispanic community through health education.” Anne initially thought that her lack of Spanish language skills would hinder her experience but was pleasantly surprised. “I may not be able to communicate directly with the residents but I am able to help them and educate them by coordinating these health seminars. I think this experience has helped me connect with a community in Athens that I would never have had the opportunity to work and interact with without the health outreach program of the Office of International Public Service and Outreach.”
Kelly Hannah also reflected on her health promotion internship working with the Latino community in Athens. She and Anne were both encouraged to engage in the literature and policies related to immigration and even attend a play in the community: The Line in the Sand: Stories from the U.S. Mexico Border. Kelly stated that, “Seeing the play and reading articles increased my desire to participate in the practicum and to increase the health knowledge and confidence of the members of the Pinewoods community.” Contextualizing the experience of the community in which they were engaging with was crucial to their understanding of the Latino community’s health care needs and cultural sensitivities. “The seminars have helped me to expand my knowledge, not only about Health Promotion and Behavior, but also about the everyday lives of immigrants. They have changed my perceptions about immigrants and their needs. I am more aware of their struggles and concerns. No longer could I read about the health of immigrants and not internalize the information” commented Kelly. Anne and Kelly plan to promote another health care seminar in the next month on preventative dental care, particularly for youth in the Pinewoods community.
The conference was sponsored by the Americas Council and the University System of Georgia Office of International Education.
CLASE Summer Institute The University of Georgia Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) will work with over 50 school personnel this summer and next academic year. These educators will receive focused professional development on curriculum and modification of instruction for English learners, beginning with our fifth annual Summer Institute, June 10-13, 2007 at Amicalola Falls State Park. 
The UGA Latin American & Caribbean Studies Institute (LACSI) of the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences brings Latin American and the Caribbean to campus and the community by sponsoring educational activities, artistic performances, interdisciplinary research, instruction, and public service projects, in coordination with Latin Americanists from UGA, other universities, the community at large, and abroad. 
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