Students from the Children’s Kiva recently put on a health fair at their school.
“Students worked with 11 different health care practitioners,” said instructor Caitlin Munroe.
Students in grades 2nd through 7th created booths of their research to share what they learned with the community. Sixty people attended the April 14 event and learned about chiropractic care, acupuncture, herbal medicines, osteopathy, dental hygiene, yoga, wilderness therapy, nutrition, pharmacy, nursing, and Hashimoto’s disease.
Having students work closely with local health care professionals made a big difference in their understanding of the material, Munroe said.
“Being able to talk with the experts gave them very specific knowledge and built their enthusiasm,” she said. “They received a deeper understanding, and it showed in their research.”
A number of students are now interested in health care fields because of the project. Because of nutrition presentations, they are paying closer attention to better eating habits.
One student did research on Hashimoto’s disease, which a relative has and is hereditary.
“She wanted to support her family, and also learn about it for her future,” Munroe said.
Students worked in small groups on the projects, and chose topics they were interested in. One group was so inspired by the pharmacy sciences, the wrote a song about it and performed it at the Health Fair.