Program Duration:
July 1st – Aug 3rd, 2021 (7 Weeks)
Orientation – June 21st – 25th, 2021
Health Inequity COVID-19: American-Iraqi Public Health Teams
110 undergraduate students from the US and Iraqi Universities were selected to collaborate in teams of 12 with 8-10 participants each. The goal was to address the challenges of health care inequity in the era of COVID-19. Students worked virtually across cultures with healthcare-related, non-profits located either in the US and Iraq–to address challenges faced by those organizations.
The 7-week program included both synchronous and asynchronous activities including weekly conferences via Zoom and project-based learning activities via Moodle. Teams were led by Masters and PhDs in the field of Public Health from both the US and Iraq. This program was fully funded by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The 12 teams worked on a consultancy project and presented solutions to the United Iraqi Medical Society (UIMS), Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition (MFFC), and Roca Boston at the end of the program.
If you would like to find out more about how your students can get involved, you can email us at chapters@unitedplanet.org or fill out the Contact Form by clicking on the Contact Us button right below.
Iraq
United States
Student Testimonials
[us_testimonial author=”Aneesa Wermers, Team Captain Group 11″ company=”Boston College” img=”11116″]This experience at United Planet has been valuable to me because it gave me a sense of what cultural competence means in practice: this requires being able to understand the vast experiences of those in other countries. I learned a lot of things from working with my Iraqi colleagues, where I got a better understanding of how there are a variety of experiences in a country like Iraq, especially in regards to education, language, etc. [/us_testimonial]
[us_testimonial author=”Abeeda Kasim, Team Captain Group 10″ company=”Temple University” img=”5994″]As someone who wants to work in the public health field, especially globally, I learned a whole lot about program planning and health promotion and the important things to keep in mind when trying to reach different populations.[/us_testimonial]
[us_testimonial author=”Fadi Noel, Team Captain Group 6″ company=”The Catholic University in Erbil” img=”5994″]I had so much fun working with each and every person during this journey. I learned about how people from different cultures view a certain situation from a different angle and would make an effort to always understand the situation. The biggest takeaway for me is that most students are willing to help one another and work as a team regardless of language performance, distances and time difference[/us_testimonial]
Groups 1 – 3 Consultation Projects for Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition (MFFC)
Social Media Campaign to Address Vaccine Hesitancy Among Youths
Group 1:
- Christine Jimenez (US Team Captain)
- Asmaa Yaseen (Iraq Team Captain)
- Ana Santos
- Bahra Assad
- Balqees Williamson
- Catherine Chon
- Humza Siddiqi
- Katherine Tadros
Group 2:
- Minji Lee (Team Captain)
- Anisha Erasani
- Bzhy Hassan
- Christina Mendez
- Ellen Byers
- Hazhy Hassan
- Jacquelyn Gasparek
- Lara Omer
- Maryam Kamil
- Sumaya Ahmad
- Sawen Aziz
Group 3:
- Hannah Mogavaro (US Team Captain)
- Ahmed Najmalden
- Bridget Birmingham
- Heshu Karim Sharif
- Jenny Park
- Justin Kwack
- Siver Saadoon Ghafour
- Xiaoyou Yan
Groups 4 – 6 Consultation Project for Roca Boston
Understanding Youth’s Aversion Towards the Vaccine and Solutions
Group 4:
- Natalie Ellis (US Team Captain)
- Fatimah Shafiq (Iraq Team Captain)
- Cassie Navalta
- Erica Oberoi
- Khalat Hadi Abdulrahman
- Kerry McMahon
- Sarah Marotta
- Savo Humed
Building trust to Help Promote Adherence of COVID-19 Health Safety Guidelines
Group 5:
- Victoria Bruchhauser (US Team Captain)
- Ruqaya Mustafa (Iraq Team Captain)
- Athalie Bastien
- Dina Baimenova
- Hedi Abubakr Ibrahim
- Kayleen Panlilo
- Madison Paternostro
- Miran Hamadamin Rasul
- Sana Ahmad
- Shko Kareem Salih
Addressing Key Concerns: Increase of Teen Pregnancy and Other High-Risk Sexual Behaviors During COVID-19
Group 6:
- Kylin Levy (US Team Captain)
- Fadi Noail Azeez (Iraq Team Captain)
- Awin Khdir
- Brook Miller
- Liana Safa
- Manar Thar Shakr
- Meerab Habeeb
- Nicole Pozzo
- Solin Ahmad
- Stephanie Reyes
Groups 7 – 12 Consultation Project for United Iraqi Medical Society (UIMS)
Group 7:
- Sidney King (US Team Captain)
- Yassin Mustafa Hassan (Iraq Team Captain)
- Abubakr Jalal Taha
- Ananda Ramseur
- Andrew Beale
- Bahra Abdulrahman Aziz
- Daniella Mora
- Mei Pearlstein
- Pakraz Muhamd Abdulrahman
- Soma Fouad Hassan
Proposal for UIMS To Utilize Existing Structure for Future Campaign Activities
Group 8:
- Lilian Wang (US Team Captain)
- Shahla Shamsadin Kasim (Iraq Team Captain)
- Alan Bayat Khwrshed
- Helen Hayley
- Julia Kane
- Mariam Brym
- Marwan Jumaa Wahab
- Natalie Janicki
- Nyan Elyas Ahmed
Group 9:
- Maryam Al Tatooz (US Team Captain)
- Ali Ridha (Iraq Team Captain)
- Amel Hassan
- Eman Ahmed Abubaker
- Joselyn Liu
- Liliana Kasta
- Nupur Chhachhi
Social Media Campaign (Collaboration Group 10,11, 12): Facebook Campaign Tools
Group 10:
- Abeeda Hussain Kasim (US Team Captain)
- Marwa Azeez Othman (Iraq Team Captain)
- Gono Barzinj
- Kayla Whitting
- Mason Meyers
- Noor Fadhel Hassan Ridha
- Safa Fars Abd El Jabar
- Sandren Saade Abduljabbar
- Syretta Whittington
Data Collection – Surveys: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy
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Group 11:
- Aneesa Wermers (US Team Captain)
- Sadq Karim Omer (Iraq Team Captain)
- Aisha Chaudry
- Chandni Shinha
- Dominique Csehill
- Hassan Basil
- Maria Rivas
- Mays Shakr Hamid
- Soma Sarwar Hamasalih
- Tarza Mawlwd Abdulla
Created Informational and Attractive Posters Based on Survey
Group 12:
- Samiha Rahim (US Team Captain)
- Karem Adl Theban (Iraq Team Captain)
- Bana Rozh Hassan
- Hba Wjeh Abid
- Lauren Devine
- Phuong Tran
- Ranin Abdualnasir
- Rayan
- Sabrina Galatioto
- Talya Kovalsky
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Benefits & Learning Outcomes
- Improved skills and competencies, such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, cross-cultural communication, and more, for academic and career success.
- Supported communities affected most by COVID-19 and other public health challenges through developing meaningful projects.
- Worked across diverse cultures to bring about positive change and build collaboration.
- Became a prestigious part of the United Planet and United States Department of State Alumni
- Deepened career and academic knowledge around public health through cross-cultural context.
- Developed skills in communications, collaboration, and mentoring by supporting diverse students interested in the global understanding of public health.
- Built 21st-century skills to be a global citizen.
- Increased leadership and teaching skills through working under the supervision of Lead Faculty from The Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Erbil Medical University, and Salahaddin University.
- Received a Certificate of Global Citizen Leadership from United Planet.
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