Athens, Ga. – Approximately 1,100 second-grade students in the Clarke County School District visited the University of Georgia campus April 7-10 during National Public Health Week for a field trip that introduced them to basic health principles through hands-on activities with UGA students.
The event was part of Experience UGA, an initiative that aims to bring all Clarke County students to UGA’s campus for an annual field trip to experience learning on a college campus, explore college options and interact with UGA students. This trip was organized by students in UGA’s College of Public Health (CPH) and is sponsored by Athens Regional Medical Center (ARMC).
Each day, groups of approximately 250 students from three to four different schools were at UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum from 9:30-11:00 a.m., where they participated in four stations focused on nutrition, hand-washing and germ spread, physical activity and bullying prevention. Each station included a Q&A session where students were introduced to basic principles followed by a hands-on activity or game. The event was being staffed entirely by more than 100 UGA undergraduate and graduate students from numerous schools and colleges.
“Being a volunteer for the Experience UGA public health field trip was certainly a memorable experience,” said Ana Hernandez, a second-year health promotion student from Dallas, Ga. “This event was not only fun for the second graders, but it also taught them valuable lessons about important health practices. At the end of the day, the second graders learned more than in a traditional classroom and left with smiles on their faces.”
Experience UGA is a partnership launched in 2013 between the Clarke County School District, UGA Office of Service-Learning, College of Education’s Office of School Engagement, and other units on campus. Nearly 10,000 students across eight grade levels in the Clarke County School District have visited the UGA campus this year.
UGA Office of Service-Learning
In service-learning courses, students participate in service activities that address community issues in order to enhance academic learning and teach civic responsibility. The UGA Office of Service-Learning supports the development of academic service-learning and community engagement initiatives designed to enhance students’ civic and academic learning, promote engaged research that is responsive to community needs, and contribute to the public good through mutually beneficial community-university partnerships. The office is jointly supported by the Offices of the Vice President for Instruction and Public Service and Outreach. For more information, see www.servicelearning.uga.edu.
UGA College of Education’s Office of School Engagement
The Office of School Engagement at the University of Georgia serves as a bridge between the worlds of theory and practice in P-16 public education to improve the educational experiences of students and the professional lives of educators. For more information, see www.coe.uga.edu/ose.
Photo by Jessica McDaniel
