Learning Outcomes from Many Voices One Song Colloquium
I would like to thank the Hillman Fund for their support for allowing me the means to attend the health promoting schools colloquium at Stias. With your support I was able to present regarding my experiences working in health promoting schools with Brighter Smiles Africa this past summer in Uganda, another project the fund kindly supported. This colloquium was the first time that I have the opportunity to present at an academic session and there are indeed many lessons that I have learned. It was also nice to be reunited with one of the Ugandan students I had worked with in the summer.
Learning about other models of health promoting schools currently being implemented was very interesting, especially as we were learning from the very people who created them. Aside from the successes that were described, the sessions also provided healthy discussions of the challenges and obstacles that the different programs have faced and the approaches that were taken to solve some of the roadblocks. Key lessons that came up over and over again included:
· The importance of creating relationships with communities prior to initiating projects.
· Really listening to what is being asked for
· Having local buy-in within communities and champions who are willing to run projects
· Having a clear entry and exit strategy so that projects are created in a supportive and sustainable fashion
· Having a willingness to learn from communities and to be flexible. This can allow projects to evolve
· How patience and persistence are critical to success in navigating complex bureaucracies
I was quite inspired by the different people that I met at the colloquium. There was such a diverse mix of professionals ranging from physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, psychologists, anthropologists, psychologists, students and politicians. Even more fascinating was the diverse collaborative roles that many of the participants had; for instance, to see a physician involved in front line education, policy making, and community development while also running a practice and having a rich personal life was vital for me to see. This alone expanded the way I view my role as a future health care provider.
Stepping back from my studies for a week to take part in this conference helped me see the bigger picture. This colloquium also helped me to create links and gain an understanding of how ideas get created, and the paths they take to get implemented. Listening to stories of success and failure taught me the importance of persistence and patience when working with bureaucracies. More importantly, this event impressed upon me the significance of collaboration - not only among colleagues and other professionals but also with members of communities – in dealing with social and health care issues.
On a personal level, I was touched by the support and encouragement that was shown to me. Prior to going, I felt as though I was just a student going to present to other professionals, but I was wrong. Throughout the entire conference I was treated as a colleague and it was an honor to be respected and heard. This experience taught me that as a student, I represent the future, and that I can have a role in helping to determine how individuals, communities and governments work in dealing with social issues.
Participation in the colloquium has also planted seeds for future international discussion and collaboration between the students present; the chance to contribute to a consensus statement on the future of Health Promoting Schools; and an invitation to submit a joint paper to a focus edition of the journal Health Education to be dedicated to the work presented.
Lastly, I would like to emphasize that the mentorship and guidance shown to me by Dr. Macnab and his colleagues is a precious and lasting gift that I deeply cherish.
Thank you
Sincerely
