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Office of Educational Partnerships and Diversity

Community Health Professions Academy

Nakita oversees a scholar tracing a maze using a full size mirror maze device designed by Rich Lee!
Nakita oversees a scholar tracing a maze using a full size mirror maze device designed by Rich Lee!
Pocket size mirror mazes mailed to scholars for at home/online use.
Pocket size mirror mazes mailed to scholars for at home/online use.

ComThe Community Health Professions Academy (CHPA) was created in 2014 by OEPD to help inspire youth grades 8-12 from underserved communities to pursue healthcare careers. CHPA currently provides information and hands-on activities to explore the health professions in a hybrid program of virtual and in-person sessions. This year, CHPA hosted 31 high school scholars from WA state for 8 Saturday sessions scheduled from January through May. Scholars learned about careers in public health, dentistry, medicine, traditional medicine, nursing, and neurotechnology. During each session, local healthcare professionals and students volun-teered to participate on mentor panels to talk about their journeys to their careers. In addition to the opportunities to connect with professionals on the mentor panels, the CHPA scholars also participated in live online hands-on activities as a group with materials that were mailed to them.

Zain Natha (D2) demonstrates tooth wax-up.
Zain Natha (D2) demonstrates tooth wax-up.
 
Diana Flores (D4) teaches scholars how to assess blood pressure.
Diana Flores (D4) teaches scholars how to assess blood pressure.

While most sessions were virtual via Zoom, CHPA scholars had the opportunity to come to the University of Washington D1 Simulation Lab for a day of hands-on activities. With the help of medical, nursing, and dental student volunteers, the CHPA scholars rotated between 5 different stations; tooth waxing, manual blood pressure assessment, placing compo-site fillings, suturing, and taking dental impressions.

If you have any questions, please contact the OEPD office at uwoepd@uw.edu.