News

CPH students travel to Xicotepec for service-learning course

Published on April 16, 2019

This spring a team of eight undergraduate and graduate public health students along with instructor Jeff Dawson traveled to Xicotepec, a small city in central-eastern Mexico, as part of a weeklong, interdisciplinary service-learning course. Coordinated with the support of Rotary International (districts in Iowa and in Xicotepec), the course has developed long-standing service projects with students from the UI Colleges of Public Health, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.

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The public health team visited a local school (Colegio Yolinstli) to conduct activities and detailed assessments concerning several adolescent issues, including nutrition, exercise, body image, social media use, and cyberbullying. These areas were identified by the school’s director during last year’s Xicotepec project. Using the input gathered from the students, the public health team was able to make recommendations to school staff on what can be done to foster healthier attitudes and behaviors in the areas of interest. The set of activities and assessment tools that were developed by the UI public health students were also refined in a way where they could be administered to students at other schools in future years.

In addition to the main project at the school, the public health students also experienced several other educational activities in Xicotepec. They went to two orphanages and were able to help with the pharmacy and dental projects while visiting with the children and orphanage staff.  The public health team was also able to see local monuments, visit a coffee plantation, tour a hospital, and eat a lot of traditional food. At the end of the trip the whole group from Iowa was able to celebrate the week with their new friends at a fiesta with food and dance. They also had a chance to visit some historical sites in Mexico City.

a group of students hold a University of Iowa banner