Faculty, staff and students from the USC Health Sciences Campus bring science and health to the Sheridan Street School.
Between the moon bounce and the face painting, kids at the USC Health and Safety Fair in Boyle Heights may have been having such a good time that they never realized they were learning about good health, too.
The fair, held this past November with the cooperation of more than 100 exhibitors and volunteers, was at Sheridan Street School, just south of the USC Health Sciences Campus.
"It was very successful," says Lou Calanche, director of community outreach for the campus, who organized the event drawing more than 300 visitors. "Participants were very engaged in the booths. Kids were getting stickers, coloring, making chains out of paper and having fun."
USC has created partnerships with several local schools. But outreach means more than just helping with school programs, Calanche explains-it means bringing the health resources of USC to the surrounding east Los Angeles community, where they can make a difference in the lives of children and adults.
Students and faculty members who volunteered at the Sheridan Street fair came from a variety of disciplines: from occupational therapy to dentistry, from medicine to nursing.
"We had everyone working together at this fair," Calanche says. "All the schools and departments from health sciences were there, cooperating in a single effort."
Children ran from booth to booth for games and coloring and excitedly picked up free goodies. Representatives from USC's Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy showed kids how to do stretching exercises. Children also did aerobics, and watched a dance team from Sheridan Street School and folclorico dancers from Catholic Charities perform on stage.
It was not just about games, though. Women from the neighborhood came for diabetes and blood pressure screenings, Calanche says. Pharmacy students who conducted the diabetes screenings found two community members whose glucose levels were so high they were referred to LAC+USC Medical Center for evaluation. Attendees also visited booths about women's wellness and dental health, and children were checked for scoliosis.
USC has received support for its community partnership efforts from off campus as well, Calanche says. Councilman Nick Pacheco's office backed the fair by helping waive city fees, paying for a fire inspector and handling similar tasks.
In the future, health sciences outreach efforts in the neighborhood will include a health and science exposition for fourth and fifth graders, Calanche says. The young students will design and present science projects for judging, with the help of USC student mentors.
"These are the children most at risk," she says. "We hope to get them interested in science and health, and provide the support they need to develop that interest."
Information about the community outreach programs administered by USC and affiliated institutions is available at www.usc.edu/ccr or by calling USC Civic and Community Relations at (213) 743-5480.