ABSTRACT
This article describes a replicable model of health literacy that promotes positive youth development. Now in its fifth year of implementation and run by Advance African Development, Inc., it is an integrated year-long, in-class, student-centered, technology-driven, and service-learning youth empowerment program. Forty-minute sessions are offered once a week to create health literate K-12 public school students able to use the Internet to obtain and understand health information, and to practice informed decision-making about their health. Data collected were qualitative and included student service learning projects to solve community health issues. Community engagement exposed students to problem-solving, collaborative and transformational leadership, and advocacy skills. Prior to the program, less than half of the students had heard of MedlinePlus, and those who had heard of it rarely could describe its purpose. Approximately 500 students and 10 teachers participated, and over 40 sessions were provided from August 2015 to June 2016.
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Notes on contributors
Annamore Matambanadzo
Annamore Matambanadzo, PhD, MEd, BEd ([email protected]) is Founder, Executive Director, and Consultant, Advance African Development, Inc., 11 Danvers Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.
Mary Manyard
Mary Maynard ([email protected]) is an undergraduate nursing student, Barry University, 11300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL 33161, and an intern with Advance African Development, Inc.
Tawanda Matambanadzo
Tawanda S. Matambanadzo, BSN, RN ([email protected]) is a registered nurse and graduate nursing student, University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, Victoria Building, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, and an intern with Advance African Development, Inc.