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Education

“Among social determinants, education is fundamental, because education forms
the new members of society – children and youth. Effective teachers are
facilitators of long-term health benefits.”3

Our Goals

At iHelp, we utilize education as the underpinning of our efforts to foster sustainable, community-oriented programs that address healthcare disparities in the communities that we serve. Through our medical education initiatives, we strive to create effective, far-reaching programs in underserved communities in our practice regions. We do this through two main avenues:

1. Community and Behaviors

By improving and enhancing communities’ existing educational system and implementing tailored health educational interventions, we aim to create positive health impacts through promotion of healthy habits and to improve competencies in addressing regional public health issues. We believe education can further our community by enabling individuals to obtain greater work opportunities and rewards, a greater sense of control and social support, and healthier behaviors.

2. Training and Teaching

We use the Service Learning and Community Based Medical Education model to enhance the education of future healthcare providers, enhance awareness of inequities, and instill a holistic view of healthcare practice. We believe that this outlook will enable students and future healthcare professionals to become more effective, empathetic, and ethical, as civic participants, and healthcare providers.

1. Community and Behaviors

By improving and enhancing communities’ existing educational system and implementing tailored health educational interventions that considers the particular socioeconomic contexts, we impact health through promotion and education of healthy behaviors, habits, and knowledge of and how to address issues relevant to regional public health. Additionally, we believe education can further our community by enabling individuals to obtain greater work opportunities and rewards, a greater sense of control and social support, and healthier behaviors.

2. Training and Teaching

By teaching and training future healthcare professionals through Service Learning and Community-Based Medical Education, we hope to enhance the education of our future healthcare providers domestically, enhance awareness of international inequalities, and instill a holistic view of approaching healthcare. We believe this outlook will enable students, as future healthcare professionals, to become more effective, empathetic, and ethical as both civic participants and health care providers.

Our Goals

At iHelp, we utilize education as a foundational way to foster community oriented and self-sustainable solutions addressing healthcare disparities in the communities we seek to serve. Through our focus on education, we build a long-term impact on underserved communities throughout the world through two main avenues:

How iHelp is Addressing Community Education

iHelp works with the communities it serves to contribute to and improve existing educational systems. We look for opportunities to improve infrastructure and technology. We research funding and look for educational resources and opportunities, with the goal of improving the lives of those within the local educational system. Through our focus on educational enrichment, we hope to contribute to the socioeconomic mobility of individuals in the communities we serve. See how we are contributing to educational enrichment through our programs in Ghana and Colombia.

Medellin Project
We work with Fundación Madrid Campestre in Medellin to help serve children and families with little resources by providing them with education, nutritious food, emotional, and psychological support.
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Wayuu Project
Without a school, students in the Kalouyachon Communidiad study outdoors.
Wayuu Project
The one school building in the the Kalouyachon Communidiad only shelters educational material. Help us build them a school!
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Wayuu Project
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Wayuu Project
Students the Sichichon Communidiad need a new school building to accommodate their laptops and science activities.
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Our medical clinics allow us to connect, teach, and inspire children to pursue healthcare professions.
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Community Education Background

Education is a fundamental SDOH that is often associated with health disparities within a given community. Poverty, social exclusion, or low educational level increases the risk of sub-optimal health and quality of life indices among individuals in a community. Additionally, a person’s level of education has a greater impact on their health if they have parents who have received a low level of education. School health education interventions, developed with community-involved, participatory models are effective measures against low health literacy and health disparities. iHelp works with local partners to encourage and create connections between educators and family members, helping to promote health literacy within family units and across communities.

Service Learning and Community-Based Medical Education Importance

In the service learning format, professionals and students bring technical and scientific expertise to the community to provide relief. Through serving others, they gain more than they give with knowledge from community members on culture, public health priorities, and the influence of social determinants on health. Increased community engagement and reciprocal knowledge transfer prepare students to practice in the rapidly changing healthcare environment—one that includes an important agenda of community accountability. Global health experiences increase awareness of international issues relevant to health, exposure to other cultures, languages and knowledge of other health care systems. Providing future healthcare professionals with training and hands-on opportunities enhances civic and social development. These experiences will benefit healthcare professionals and their patients, building more effective providers, who serve as both civic participants and health care professionals. We invest our efforts in nurturing culturally competent and empathetic professionals that are invested in applying their training in underserved parts of the world.

Voulenteer Training
All iHelp volunteers are trained by healthcare professionals prior to serving the community.
BLS
iHelp healthcare volunteers at AHA BLS certified.
Check-offs
iHelp healthcare volunteers have skills checked off prior to preforming them in the community.
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“In human nature lies a complex spectrum of emotions. To allow
ourselves to feel these emotions lets us keep touch with our humanity. To
be able to lend a helping hand is a beautiful thing, and to experience
something that puts you on that whole spectrum is ineffable and beyond
humbling…. and a learning experience in more than just medicine, I hope
there are many more to come”-Student Participant

How iHelp Fosters Service Learning

iHelp organizes, implements, and facilitates healthcare outreach programs for underserved populations and communities around the world. While the primary goal of these projects is to provide health care service in underserved and marginalized communities, they also provide opportunities for volunteers to work alongside medical professionals and directly with patients. Volunteers gain medical experience and a deeper understanding of the individual and communal impact of health care disparities. Through our domestic and international mobile and stationary clinic operations, individuals gain valuable experience and insight into the populatins they serve, while contributing to sustainable operations. We hope that iHelp’s greatest impact is providing future generations with the tools, insight, and experience to create solutions and drive the innovations that address disparities in health systems worldwide. See how we are providing service learning opportunities through our South Florida Homeless Outreach Programs, The Wayuu Clinic, and The Ghana Clinic.

References
5.1. Averill NJ, Sallee JM, Robinson JT, et al. A first-year
community-based service learning elective:

Design, implementation, and reflection. Teach Learn Med. 2007;

19; 47-54.
5.2. Calderón Larrañaga S, Expósito Ruiz M, Cruz Vela P, et al.
Atención Primaria y promoción de la salud bucodental: evaluación
de una intervención educativa en población infantil [Primary Care
and oral health promotion: Assessment of an educational
intervention in school children]. Aten Primaria.
2019;51(7):416-423. doi:10.1016/j.aprim.2018.05.003
5.3. Hahn RA, Truman BI. Education Improves Public Health and
Promotes Health Equity. Int J Health Serv. 2015;45(4):657-678.
doi:10.1177/0020731415585986
5.4. Hunt JB, Bonham C, Jones L. Understanding the goals of service
learning and community-based medical education:A systematic
review. Acad Med. 2011; 86; 246-251

International Medical Clinics
Facilitating service based learning across international borders helps provide care to the most vulnerable International populations while increasing awareness of relevant international health issues.
Learning through service to the community results in more empathetic, ethical, and effective future healthcare providers.
Get Involved
By working and collaborating with healthcare professionals from all over the world, we are able to share knowledge and better understand socioeconomic disparities troubling various underserved parts of the world.
Service learning allows us to connect with various populations and share thoughts, expierences, skills, and hobbies.
Team Based Learning
By implementing a collaborative approach, iHelp volunteers are able to learn collaboratively and enhance their team based skills.
South Florida Project
Working with the locally underserved homeless population allows students to better understand the disparities and hardships individuals in that population face.
Engaging with unique communities and cultures all over the world allows us to share our ideas and culture.
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At iHelp, we envision a world where communities across the globe can share ideas to grow independently yet can come together to support the common goal of a world free of socioeconomic disparities.

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  • © 2023 iHelp Inc, a 501(c)(3) Organization Tax ID #86-1968454