Three School of Pharmacy projects rank among those funded by Neighborhood Outreach grants.
STAR student Maricela Hernandez learns laboratory techniques from Shuhua Chen, a senior research associate, in the lab of School of Pharmacy professor Roberta Diaz Brinton.
From an article by Katharine A. Diaz
USC Neighborhood Outreach awarded $850,000 to nearly 40 neighborhood programs at ceremonies on the University Park and Health Sciences campuses during the week of June 8.
Councilman Bernard Parks praised USC for not only partnering with local schools and community-based organizations, but for putting the money behind such programs, many of which have been cut from local schools due to budget woes.
Over the past 15 years, USC Neighborhood Outreach has distributed more than $10 million in grants to 365 university-community partnerships funded by USC Good Neighbors Campaign monies. The next USC Good Neighbors Campaign begins in October.
"After a successful 2008 campaign, Trojan Family members who generously contributed to the campaign will be happy to learn where their money is going," said Carolina Castillo, who directs the annual fund-raising campaign at USC.
The three School of Pharmacy projects include a fotonovela on obesity for $30,600. This project is directed by associate professor Mel Baron in collaboration with community Partner Clínica Msr. Oscar A. Romero. The fotonovela, a comic book using photographs presented in both English and Spanish, addresses the urgent health issue of obesity in the Latino community. The goal of the fotonovela is to effectively communicate the health message that strives to change the course of obesity among low-income, low-literacy Latino families in a culturally acceptable and familiar format.
The FUENTE Initiative, led by professor Kathleen Johnson, the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, along with associate professors Jason Doctor and Jeff Goad, was awarded a $7,421 grant. Working with community partners at the East Los Angeles Occupational Center and the East Los Angeles Skills Center, the project educates school children and their families about poison prevention. The project also covers appropriate use of medications, health awareness and screenings.
Expanding STARS, another funded program, was awarded $23,850. The Science, Technology and Research (STAR) program provides an opportunity for students from community partner Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School to be part of a research team in a USC lab. The project also addresses science literacy of high school students, develops inquiry- and problem-based science and math learning and mentors the next generation of research scientists through a commitment to science education. School of Pharmacy professor Roberta Diaz Brinton, the R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development, leads the project.
The School of Pharmacy is also involved in various other projects supported by grants that provide education and screenings to the community through health fairs and education programming in local schools.