PHAST is an interdisciplinary extracurricular student group at the University of Michigan School of Public Health that helps health departments and community organizations with short-term public health related projects. It gives students the chance to apply and adapt classroom knowledge while tackling real world public health issues. For more information, click here.
Grenada Deployment
One of the primary goals of our trip was to establish relationships with our partner organizations in Grenada in order to create a mutually beneficial experience for all groups involved. Prior to entering the community, teams participated in conference calls, prepared materials, and became educated on the culture in Grenada. Several members of our team, including
myself, documented the experience by writing blog pieces for the University of Michigan School of Public Health Frontlines.
Spice Island Resort Project
While in Grenada, my team completed a needs assessment for the employees at Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada to better understand their top health concerns. This was done through environmental observations and one on one survey interviews with employees. We presented preliminary findings to stakeholders in Grenada including faculty and staff at St. George’s University. Following the trip, we compiled data into a comprehensive report and provided recommendations to resort administration to inform future programming and initiatives.
Teaching Yoga
During our trip, one of our teams coordinated a health and wellness event for the Sports for Health program with the Special Services Unit. At the end of the day I led the group through a session of yoga, emphasizing the importance of daily stretching and stress management.
Volunteering with the Orphanage Student Organization
Upon exiting the community, our team volunteered with the Orphanage Student Organization at St. George’s University to provide orphans in Grenada with a day of activities.
Texas Deployment
On this trip, we traveled to South Texas to work on improving border health disparities in partnership with the University of Texas Pan American, the University of Texas School of Public Health Brownsville, and the Cameron County Department of Health and Human Services.
Brownsville’s Biggest Loser Challenge Project
Our team applied our knowledge in health behavior theory to conduct a theoretical content analysis of newspaper articles and newsletters that were distributed to Brownsville’s Biggest Loser Challenge participant. We presented our findings to stakeholders in South Texas and provided recommendations for future publications. This project allowed health behavior and epidemiology students to collaborate across departments and learn valuable skills from one another.
In addition, our team attended and assisted with several community outreach events including a cancer presentation, a zumba class, and a health fair. We also took a windshield tour of the city of Brownsville and toured the University of Texas Brownsville campus to better understand the community we would be working in.
In addition, our team attended and assisted with several community outreach events including a cancer presentation, a zumba class, and a health fair. We also took a windshield tour of the city of Brownsville and toured the University of Texas Brownsville campus to better understand the community we would be working in.