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In an annual tradition, student projects to build semester-long community connections through service are announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. |
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| Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress |
The annual tradition of engaging in service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day takes on special significance this year for 17 students from all three schools at UMass Medical School as they receive support to launch five programs that will allow them to build semester-long community connections through service.
This year’s MLK Semester of Service Student Award recipients will bring the sport of tennis to children with autism spectrum disorders; improve access to fresh and nutritious produce and encourage healthy eating for families; present adolescent mothers with a curriculum designed to help them make healthy choices; inform local refugee children about opportunities for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and help young men of color in the Worcester area gain access to the field of medicine and understand the principles for healthy living to achieve their goals.
The MLK Semester of Service Student Award program, now in its fifth year, is a community service initiative designed to support student-driven, community-responsive service and service-learning projects in the communities that surround the Worcester campus. The MLK Awards have been embraced by UMMS leadership as a valuable element of UMass Medical School’s community engagement strategy, and now receive dedicated funds from the Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
Each of the five project teams funded this year will receive $500 to support implementation of their proposals, which require the students to partner with existing community organizations. The winning projects are selected by a team of judges based on how the projects strengthen relationships with the community; address community needs and student learning objectives; and provide opportunities for members of the UMMS community to work together and engage with the larger community. The recipients will be recognized at the UMMS MLK Day celebration on Monday, Jan. 26.
These five projects have been selected as award winners:
ACEing Autism Tennis Program
Students: Nisarg Chhaya, SOM; Mary Pat Cavanaugh, SOM; Hannah Hoerner, SOM; Geneva DeGregorio, SOM; Socheata Ly, GSBS; and Joana Sun, GSN
Project description: The goal of the project is to establish a local, permanent resource for bringing the sport of tennis to children with autism spectrum disorders. ACEing Autism is a national non-profit organization that provides an opportunity for recreation, physical activity and social interaction for children with autism through group tennis lessons. In September, the students opened the first Central Massachusetts branch at the Shrewsbury Health and Racquet Club with the purpose of addressing Healthy People 2020 Objectives DH-8 and NWS-11, which are concerned with reducing the proportion of people with disabilities who report barriers to local health and wellness programs, and preventing weight gain in youth, respectively. After teaching eight weeks of tennis lessons for 24 families with the help of more than 35 volunteers, and receiving much posit
