Community Health Education Program

Community Health Education Program (CHEP) is a volunteer program through Crossroad Health Center that recruits new members based on the demands of the program. In CHEP, volunteers will predominantly lead health education seminars for students at Dohn Community High School, a local charter school with numerous campuses across Cincinnati that provide credit recovery education.

Our health education seminars consist of a Women’s Health Day and Men’s Health Day, which both cover a wide range of topics such as sexual health and hygiene, birth control, sexually transmitted infections, sexuality and identity, relationships and consent, stress and mental health, and nutrition. All Health Days are centered around open discussion, where we strive to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere for students to comfortably ask questions about stigmatized topics, share their own knowledge and experiences, and learn about health and wellness that is relevant to their daily lives.

In addition, all Health Days at Dohn Community High School provide an opportunity for students to receive health credit recovery education. Following the two-hour seminar and discussion, students take a comprehensive exam over the presented information. If passed, the seminar and exam fulfill their health credit for graduation requirements. Thus far, our team has facilitated 20 health day seminars and worked with approximately 150 students, majority of whom have received their health credit recovery education.

Through the Health Days, CHEP aims to provide health education for young people in an accessible, approachable, and impactful manner. Among the team, we foster a collaborative and innovative environment so that CHEP can operate as a platform for new projects and ideas to grow and serve our Cincinnati community.

The Community Health Education Program empowers individuals and encourages wellness by creating open and educational discussions about health in the Cincinnati community.

Commitment

Individuals selected for this program are expected to coordinate and facilitate school Health Days while introducing new, actionable ideas for community health education and promotion in Cincinnati. Team members are enthusiastic, self-motivated, and prioritize this program. Our volunteers come from many academic backgrounds including pre-health professions, public health, nursing, and education.

Requirements

An excellent applicant meets the following requirements:

Commit a minimum of 8-10 hours per month
Commit to CHEP for a minimum of one calendar year.
Available to conduct Health Days on weekday mornings and/or afternoons.
Transportation to and from meetings and events in the Cincinnati area.
Strong communication and organizational skills.
Enthusiastic about and interested in health education.
Comfortable engaging in conversation about stigmatized or difficult topics.
Enjoys mentoring and working with others, especially adolescents.
Professionalism, reliability, and flexibility are highly valuable.

Application

Spring 2021 Application Cycle: Online Application opens March 15, 2021 and closes May 31, 2021. Interviews will be held during the month of June 2021.
Recruitment typically occurs on an annual basis. If interested, please email crossroad.chep@gmail.com for more information.

Application to the Community Health Education Program is a competitive process and consists of the following:

1) Online Application

Application consists of:
- Basic Application Information
- Essay #1: Why is it important to provide access to education about stigmatized topics such as sexual health? 250 word maximum, single-spaced.
- Essay #2: Describe a time when you took initiative to solve a problem. 250 word maximum, single-spaced.
- Professional Resume: 2 page maximum

2) Interview at Crossroad Health Center

After an initial evaluation of the online applications, eligible applicants will be invited to interview. Applicants will be interviewed by the program Co-Directors and current team members.

Application Cycle Calendar

Applications for students interested in interning will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please click here to apply!

CHEP and VIP Third Rotation Project Collaboration:

Commitment

Individuals who are eligible for the CHEP/VIP project collaboration must currently be enrolled in the Volunteer Internship Program. These self-driven individuals will conduct their own project with guidance and approval from the CHEP team. Projects are relevant to CHEP’s vision, beneficial for the program, and initiated by the VIP.

Requirements

Complete Third Rotation Project before/during third rotation semester based on Crossroad's Volunteer Internship Program criteria.
Schedule two meetings with the CHEP team to determine your project and share your work following submission of the interest form below.
All documents/completed files must be uploaded to CHEP's Third Rotation Google Drive to be shared with the CHEP team upon completion.

Interest Form Submission

The following Google Form must be completed one month into the third rotation semester. Please click on the link below to fill out the information, and email crossroad.chep@gmail.com to notify the CHEP team of your submission.
Form is linked here

Questions regarding application to the Community Health Education Program or CHEP & VIP Third Rotation Project Collaboration may be directed to crossroad.chep@gmail.com.

HISTORY

Hannah, Katherine, and Shannon, now Xavier University graduates and former VIPs, co-founded the Women’s Health Day at Dohn Community High School in Spring 2017 with guidance from providers at Crossroad Health Center. Women’s Health Day, which originally intended to be a one-time presentation, developed into a health credit recovery seminar at multiple Dohn locations and the foundation for the larger Community Health Education Program (CHEP). CHEP aims to continue these seminars, along with Men’s Health Day, and look for other ways to grow and serve the Cincinnati community.

Current team members pursue various projects for program and team enrichment in addition to improving the Health Day curriculum and facilitating seminars. These enrichment projects have included an Infectious Disease Day seminar, “CHEP Cares” hygiene and menstrual supply bags, grant writing, and discussions about racial equity, reproductive justice, sexual assault, language, and accessibility. Team members have individually pursued these initiatives based on their own interests and personal research. As a team, we value open and continuing discussions about topics relevant to improving CHEP and deepening our understanding of service and social justice issues.

Team Members

CHEP Team 2020-2021
Adam Denny
Fatima Khan
Kash Reddy
Katherine Wilcher
Makayla Caudill
Olivia Dillman
Shannon Cunningham
Shivane Chawla
Suhas Kolli

CHEP Team 2019-2020
Abby Harrill
Katherine Wilcher
Maggie Sullivan
Shannon Cunningham
Shivane Chawla

CHEP Team 2017-2019
Hannah Lodin
Katherine Wilcher
Shannon Cunningham

Community Partnerships

COVERD Greater Cincinnati: Tidal Babe Period Bank
COVERD encompasses Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank (SCDB) and Tidal Babe Period Bank (TBPB). TBPD is a Cincinnati non-profit, whose mission and vision is to eliminate the existence of period poverty in our community so that all individuals have a chance to be healthy, happy, and safe. As of 2021, CHEP is proud to be a current TBPB partner. As a partner, CHEP receives and distributes free period supplies to students who attend our Women’s Health Day. These period supplies include tampon kits, sanitary pad and liner kits, and menstrual cup kits.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities Include:

Volunteer in-person at TBPB/SCDB Kit Wrapping Events
Organize and host a Period Kit Drive (on behalf of CHEP)
Organize and host a Diaper Kit Drive (on behalf of CHEP)
- For more information, visit tidalbabe.org.

GRANT AND DONATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Procter & Gamble: Always Campaign

CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS

1. Cunningham S, Wilcher K, Lodin H, Harrill A, Sullivan M, Chawla S, Furgason C, MD. (2020, March). Reimagining Adolescent Health Education. Poster presented at American Medical Women’s Association 105th Anniversary Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.