Open AccessService Learning: A Vehicle for Building Health Equity and Eliminating Health Disparities
Author(s) -
Samantha Sabo,
Jill de Zapien,
Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone,
Cecilia Rosales,
Lynda Bergsma,
Douglas Taren
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2014.302364
Subject(s) - service learning , health equity , public relations , public health , equity (law) , scholarship , sociology , social determinants of health , indigenous , context (archaeology) , health education , community engagement , political science , medicine , nursing , pedagogy , geography , ecology , archaeology , law , biology
Service learning (SL) is a form of community-centered experiential education that places emerging health professionals in community-generated service projects and provides structured opportunities for reflection on the broader social, economic, and political contexts of health. We describe the elements and impact of five distinct week-long intensive SL courses focused on the context of urban, rural, border, and indigenous health contexts. Students involved in these SL courses demonstrated a commitment to community-engaged scholarship and practice in both their student and professional lives. SL is directly in line with the core public health value of social justice and serves as a venue to strengthen community-campus partnerships in addressing health disparities through sustained collaboration and action in vulnerable communities.