Newswise — An anti-violence summit for high school students and their parents, safety and fitness workshops for pre-teens, and health screenings for all ages are a few of the events taking place at the “Cease the Silence” Day of Service organized by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 3 at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Van Buren Street, Chicago.
Rush Medical College and the Chicago Public Schools are partnering with SNMA to bring attention to and begin combating major issues impacting the underserved community: Heart Disease, Obesity and Diabetes, Cancer, HIV and Violence.
High school students and their parents are invited to the “Cease the Silence, Stop the Violence” summit from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the auditorium of Malcolm X College. Speakers include Ron Huberman, CEO of Chicago Public Schools; Terry Peterson, director of Government Affairs at Rush University Medical Center; Sue Moehn, a domestic violence expert from Jane Addams Hull House; Dr. Juan Asensio, a trauma surgeon and Rush graduate; Tio Hardiman, director of CeaseFire Illinois; Stacy Acevez, sexual violence expert from the YWCA; James B. Jackson, assistant superintendent, operations, Chicago Police Department; and Ghingo Brooks, president of Malcolm X College.
The SNMA Day of Service will also attract medical students from around the country, ready to speak to high school students about overcoming challenges to become successful medical students and the role they can play in decreasing violence in their communities.
“Encouraging people to lead healthy and fulfilled lives is the essence of what we do,” relays SNMA National Vice President Courtney B. Scrubbs. “Every year, with each Annual Medical Education Conference, we seek out the needs of our host city and put significant effort into garnering support to address that need as future medical professionals. Last year we tackled the lingering needs of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. This year, we are gearing up to combat Youth Violence in Chicago. We are committed to serving our communities both inside and outside the clinic walls.”
Participants will be encouraged to contribute to the discussion with their questions and ideas and activities with the guest speakers and medical students.
“Violence is one of the major ills in the community. Our panel will share their own life experiences, and we hope kids will walk away with new insights into how to avoid violent confrontations and overcome challenges,” said Sharon Gates, director, Office of Community and Global Health at Rush University.
Following the anti-violence summit, high school students will have the opportunity to participate in interactive discussions and activities with Dr. Juan Asensio, Steven Jackson and Michael Nolan of R.I.T.E. (Reentry Initiative Through Entrepreneurship), and SNMA members. Kids ages 13 and under will participate in a safety presentation from the Chicago police department. A number of informational booths will also be available featuring groups, such as the Boys and Girls Club, to offer information on after-school and summer activities, job opportunities and additional information on stopping violence.
Throughout the day, students and faculty from Rush University will perform health screenings for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Chicago House will provide HIV rapid testing and counseling. The National Marrow Donor Program and Dr. Bhakti Hansoti of the University of Chicago Emergency Medicine Residency Program will educate the community on the need for minority marrow donors and offer the opportunity to sign up for the national registry.
“The SNMA realizes that improving the health of the community demands a multi-faceted approach. We must first begin with engagement and outreach,” comments SNMA National President Travelle Franklin-Ford. “We are delighted to step beyond the walls of our conference and collaborate with a number of organizations to impact not only the physical health of the community, but also the safety, political awareness, and nutritional habits of the youth. In creating an open, safe, and fun environment, we hope to address tough issues such as violence and low morale and encourage our youth to set high goals, achieve academic success and fulfill their dreams.”
While the goal of the event is serious business, the day will also offer lots of fun and educational activities for kids ages 6 and up, including Zumba Dance lessons, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, an anti-violence art corner, and a nutrition and fitness bootcamp.
For more information call Sharon Gates at (312) 942-3670 or e-mail at [email protected].
Rush University is the academic component of Rush University Medical Center. With more than 1,730 students, Rush University is home to one of the first medical schools in the Midwest, and one of the nation’s top-ranked nursing colleges. Rush University also offers graduate programs in allied health and the basic sciences. The mission of Rush University is to teach, study and provide the highest quality health care, using a unique and multidisciplinary practitioner-teacher model for health sciences education and research, while reflecting the diversity of our communities in its programs, faculty, students and service.
The Student National Medical Association is the nation's oldest and largest independent, student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. Membership includes more than 8,000 medical students, pre-medical students, residents and physicians. Established in 1964, SNMA is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent, and socially conscious physicians.
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