Students in Global Health Capstone Tackle Real-World Issues

Students_at_Capstone_Event

Students Noah Triplett (center) and Abby Birrell discuss their capstone project, "Sex Trafficking Awareness and Recognition Training," with DGHI student services coordinator Alisa Halferty.

Published December 20, 2016 under Education News

The global health capstone course encourages senior global health majors to research a global health problem, consult with experts in the field and design a practical solution. The course aims to give students an opportunity to use skills they learned in their previous coursework to develop real-world global health solutions they’re passionate about. 

Students experience working in a multi-disciplinary context, collaborating with a team and interacting with global health actors throughout the semester-long project. 

On December 8, the students in this year’s capstone course presented posters on their projects and explained their processes and results to event attendees. 

A DIVERSE RANGE OF TOPICS 

Students were given the flexibility to choose a global health disparity their team was passionate about. Projects ranged from local to international settings, reflecting the students’ diverse interests in health issues. Each team had a hypothetical $300,000 budget to propose a solution. 

Four teams of seniors shared their solutions at the capstone presentation event. This year’s projects included: 

  • Amigas Rosadas: Emotional Support for Latina Breast Cancer Patients in Durham
  • S.T.A.R.T.: Sex Trafficking Awareness and Recognition Training
  • Familias Saludables: Promoting Healthy Families among Durham, North Carolina's Latino Community
  • SIM AFYA: Combating Maternal Mortality Rate in South Rural Tanzania using a three pronged approach

Christina Schmidt, a member of the “Familias Saludables” team, said her team’s biggest motivation for choosing a project in Durham was the potential for their work to expand beyond the classroom.  “Throughout the semester, we’ve worked with local obesity experts and spoken with potential partners all within a five-mile radius of our campus,” she said, “making the implementation of our healthy eating program a feasible possibility.”

CONNECTING STUDENTS’ GLOBAL HEALTH STUDIES AND SKILLS

In the capstone course, students break into small teams at the beginning of the semester based on their health interests. The teams then take a few weeks to decide on a topic and to contact experts and global health actors and use the rest of the semester to flesh out the project.

DGHI professor Dennis Clements led the capstone course, providing guidance and suggestions for the teams. The students used skills they learned in Fundamentals of Global Health, Research Methods, Global Health Ethics and other classes in compiling their research, results and solution.

“The students, acting as a group, have to decide on reducing a health disparity somewhere in the world and then have to research the past experience that others have had and how it would apply to their new situation,” said Clements. 

PRESENTATIONS SHOWCASE STUDENTS GLOBAL HEALTH WORK

The final presentation was a chance for students to apply their classroom knowledge and reflect on their global health studies before graduating. 

“The global health capstone course is one of my favorite teaching experiences, not just because of the content but because of the students,” said Clements. “They are energetic and excited to take on this new challenge, and they do a fantastic job. The world will be a better place as they take their place in it.”

To view more event photos, visit our Flickr album.

The global health capstone course is one of my favorite teaching experiences, not just because of the .content but because of the students

Dennis Clements, DGHI professor

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