Dara and Zoie designed and implemented a nutrition and oral hygiene education curriculum as a part of the MHERC’s Healthy Happy Kids Elementary After School Program which was delivered at 24 sites and reached nearly 2,300 Pre-K through 5th grade students in the Birmingham Metro area. In addition to teaching children the importance of good nutrition and proper oral hygiene, they also crafted a referral system for students in need of a dental home with The Sidney B. Finn Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at the UAB School of Dentistry. This laid the groundwork for third and fourth year dental students to provide community oral health screenings in partnership with the MHERC’s Live HealthSmart Alabama Mobile Wellness Clinic.

As a result of the program:

• Nearly 2,300 students received oral hygiene instructions from dental health professionals.
• A referral program was created between the HHK Program sites and UAB Finn Pediatric Clinic for students in HHK in need of a dental home
• Laid the groundwork for the Live HealthSmart Alabama Mobile Wellness van to be a community outreach rotation for dental students to provide oral health and cancer screenings
• Oral health & oral hygiene information was integrated into the curriculum. It will continue to be taught each year as long as the program continues
• Videos were recorded to train after school program volunteers 
• Take home sheets were created for parents and brushing logs for students that were incorporated in the HHK toolkit to deliver oral hygiene instruction and education

Zoie: “This experience as an ASF fellow has truly shaped me into the kind of leader I want to be in the future. I’ve learned that leadership is more than just an idea, but about action, and action takes hard work, long hours, discipline and determination. This program has given me the knowledge and tools to truly be the change I want to see. It has encouraged me, and fueled me to continue to keep service as a core value in my life as I enter my career as a healthcare provider.”

Dara: “I was inspired to apply for ASF because I wanted to make more time for service throughout my time as a dental student. Dental school is a busy 4 years to say the least, but I didn’t want to lose or neglect my why in the midst of it. When I applied to ASF I knew the support of the ASF community along with the passion for service that I already had would keep me honest and hold me accountable to living the life of service I say I want to live even as a professional student. As my fellowship year comes to an end, I have no doubts that being a Fellow has done that for me and even more. I have grown as a leader, made valuable connections, and learned invaluable lessons throughout my fellowship year. Applying for ASF is one of the best decisions I made in dental school and I am so grateful for this experience.”