Harlem Program Gives Kids A Hands-On Health Education
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A new approach to health education is teaching kids lessons hands-on. NY1 Health & Fitness reporter Kafi Drexel filed the following report on this unique program in Harlem. Health educators are teaching students at the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy about hygiene and the importance of hand washing by bringing to light germs they cannot see.
With help from some special lotion and UV lighting, the kids' glowing white hands show them all the places germs have accumulated throughout the day.
In a city where some schools struggle to even have a full-time school nurse on staff, these students are getting interactive lessons about how the human body works via a unique program.
With an in-school health center, The Harlem Children's Health Project, which is run in collaboration with the Children's Health Fund and New York Presbyterian, acts almost as a private health practice. In addition to being able to head to the school nurse for a tummy ache, students also have access to comprehensive medical, mental health, and dental care – and health education.
While one group of fifth graders learns about germs, another learns about the human skeleton through hands-on visual displays and computer programs.
"Typically in the classroom setting, it is a lot of the teacher talking, students listening," said Leon Smart, the program director. "Whereas here, the students are much more involved."
"We really do lessons that run the spectrum," explained Program Manager Sarah Wessler. "We really kind of surveyed the needs of the community and created our curriculum around that. We do lessons for younger kids about feelings, about the five senses. With our older students, our high school students, we really look at reproductive health: HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and things of that nature."
The kids say they will take all the material they are learning away from the classroom.
"You can learn about healthiness. You can learn about germs. You can learn about your bones," said student Alvillea Gaston.
"You never know, something might be wrong with you so you have to learn more about it so you take better care of yourself," said Fatoumata Fadiga, another student.
The program may not only be producing healthier kids, but also some future doctors.