My first year of my masters is coming to a close, and I thought I'd share a piece I wrote for a class that got published in The Mennonite online magazine! Check it out: "Let's Talk About Sex" has taken on new meaning
Category: Education
Is this a clarifying moment?
This evening I shook the hand of the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, who was appointed by President Obama and just completed his four year term in April this year. After connecting with him briefly on the idea of clinicians moving beyond patient care and into public health advocacy and …
Story time..
As my time winds down to the final couple days here in Mugumu and at the Safe House, I find I have several topical blog posts I'd like to write, but little current motivation to do so. So instead I feel inclined to simply share some stories and thoughts of the past several weeks before my volunteer …
Boston Bound..
I am officially attending Boston University's School of Public Health starting this September as a candidate for their Masters of Public Health! I am stoked to get the ball rolling in the two year program of one of the top ten Schools of Public Health in the nation. I plan on pursuing their specific Health …
Celebration and purpose..
The sunlit room full of primary school students hushed quiet as Neema presented us with a finely written letter of thanks on behalf of the school for our gift of new chalkboards. Their song and dance celebration of thanks continued on even after the electricity went out and the speaker system went silent. Their excitement to …
The Chalkboard Project
The work ethic, ingenuity, and can do attitude of Tanzanians is undeniable. Things here are often pole pole (slowly slowly), but when a goal is financed and the start date is set things can really hit the ground running! Wednesday Dec. 21st we asked if we could help the Arusha Integrated School by fixing up …
Chalkboard Project Funding
Nine chalkboards in Nine classrooms are in dire need of repair. Students at the Arusha Integrated Primary School where Johanna and I teach, rely entirely on the notes, lessons, and tests written on the chalkboard by their teachers. In the couple weeks I have spent teaching here, it became very clear that the awful condition of the chalkboards …
“Nothing about us without us is for us..
Youth are the solution not the problem!" This slogan sat proudly on the backs of each kid and drew my thoughts for much of the youth camp. A strong call for youth to be active agents for change within their country and communities, and a reciprocal call for the society to intentionally involve youth societal change, planning, and …
Ask me a Question?
I am a huge fan of questions. But I'm not going to dive into that now. I have inflicted my students with my love of questions by insisting every one of them jot down a questions on a scrap of paper to me every Monday (so only twice now...). I figured kids ages 9-13 would …
Getting schooled..
The Arusha Integrated Primary School is gracious enough to give me 40 minuets six times a week to teach their kids hygiene and first aid. I've taken the liberty to translate that class title to "Health Class." Health topics like hygiene, first aid, diseases, or body systems are covered under their Science Class. So my Health …
Rays of Cobalt Blue 