|
My name is Ada Dieke and I am a first year Masters of Public Health student in the Maternal and Child Health concentration. I am also a first year Project EXPORT fellow. When I first became a fellow for EXPORT, I was curious about the project that I would be working on. Would it be hands on? Will I have direct contact with the community? Will I gain more insight to existing health disparities? Are there children around? Am I able to put my two cents in? As these questions circled around in my head, one of my mentors, Martha Monroy, told me about a program in Tucson’s Southside Community that answered all of my questions. Challenger Middle School, a school in the Elvira Neighborhood, created a program that’s designed to raise awareness about Diabetes among the students. The program, called “Defeating Diabetes Through Dance and Diet,” educates students (some happen to be at risk for Diabetes and some who already have it) about ways to combat this condition. Diabetes disproportionately affects minorities, and a high percentage of the Hispanic population resides in the Elvira Community. In addition, younger and younger children are being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, a condition usually found in adults. That’s why this program is important and as a Project EXPORT fellow, I am thrilled to play a role in helping fight the diabetes disparity.
If there was any program that incorporated so many aspects that I’d like to include in my career, this was it. The program deals with children, health disparities affecting minorities, dance, community interaction, and more. Through the “Defeating Diabetes Through Dance and Diet” program the students gain information about the diabetic condition itself and ways to combat and/or manage it through nutrition and physical activity. Students meet one day a week, after school and we alternate between nutrition and hip-hop dance classes each week. I feel that the students get pretty comprehensive tools in that they not only learn about nutrition, but they get to cook healthy and culturally appropriate foods, as well as participate in a physical activity that they all seem to love: hip-hop dance.
I met with the wonderful counselors at Challenger, Saguario Espinoza and Maritza Garlant-Molin, to discuss my role in this program. At first my role was to be more supportive, but interestingly enough, I have become very “hands-on” with this project. I plan and teach the mini-diabetes lessons/activities while Ms. Espinoza and Ms. Garlant-Molin teach the cooking and nutrition portion. So far, the students have made shrimp ceviche (oh so good), shish kebobs with brown rice and gazpacho. Mrs. Monroy thought it would be a good idea to do a game for the kids so I created a Family Feud-like game to help reinforce what I’ve taught them so far about Diabetes. It’s funny how things work out, but the counselors also needed a hip-hop dance instructor for the dance class, a role in which I immediately stepped into since I’ve taught hip-hop dance in the past. We are currently working on a dance routine that the kids may perform at the school talent show.
It’s remarkable to work with the children in the Tucson community, a community I’ve lived in for about 11 years. Currently we are looking for various funding opportunities to sustain the project and expand it to other schools and communities. I thoroughly enjoy our interactions and seeing the vast amount of knowledge that they already have regarding Diabetes. The moments where I joke around with the kids and call each other by nicknames (my new nickname is A-dizzle) are priceless. Another funny moment occurs when I join in the conversations that they have in Spanish. It’s hilarious, because out of nowhere I ask them, “Que tu dices?” and momentarily they look surprised since I bet they don’t expect me to speak Spanish. Now they readily help me with my Spanish when needed.
The wonderful thing about my project is that it seems to plant seeds in the students’ brain about diabetes prevention and management. I really hope that the program is has an impact and provides the students with the skills that they can continue to use for the rest of their lives.
By Ada Dieke
|
