Over 130 Door County elementary school children have a new reason to smile thanks to some students from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
As part of the Door County Dental Initiative, the kids recently received fluoride varnish treatments and learned how nutrition and dental hygiene can impact their oral and overall health. At the same time, 15 first-year students from the NWTC Nursing-Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs gained practical experience and developed their sense of civic responsibility through this service-learning project.
“Many of our students said this was their first exposure to a community service project and mentioned their wish to continue doing this in their future careers,” said Marcia Osborne, NWTC Nursing faculty. “So I believe we will see more volunteer participation in community services with each class we graduate into the nursing profession in our county.”
The NWTC students visited two Sturgeon Bay sites last month. On April 17, eight Nursing-Associate Degree students visited Sunset Elementary School under the supervision of Marsha Sternard, NWTC Nursing faculty. On April 20, seven Practical Nursing students served children at Lakeside Dental Clinic under Osborne’s lead.
During the visits, NWTC nursing students applied fluoride varnish to the children’s teeth and provided hands-on education regarding the importance of daily dental hygiene for both the children and their parents. The students used colorful stuffed animals and large toothbrushes to demonstrate proper brushing techniques and sent packets of information and supplies with the kids for home review.
The NWTC nursing students followed up their service-learning project with a reflection activity. Brenda Vogel, an NWTC Practical Nursing student, expressed her reaction to this service-learning experience by writing, “There are so many people that are underinsured or just can’t afford the health care that they need. In order to keep the members of our community healthy and safe, this sort of clinic is very important. Being in the healthcare field and being a part of this community, we need to give back to those people who otherwise would go without treatment. There are many barriers to the uninsured members of our community, and if I am able to help, I will.”
With the success of the recent fluoride varnish clinics, it’s no wonder that Osborne and the Dental Initiative committee are already planning to build on new partnerships, which now include Head Start, Healthy Families and the Sunset School staff.
“This will serve as a springboard for future projects,” said Osborne. “The committee members worked very hard to schedule clients, obtain supplies, and coordinate these clinics. We can build on this template, if we are able to secure future Area Health Education Center grants.”
About the Door County Dental Initiative
The Door County Dental Initiative is a collaborative effort between NWTC, the Door County Memorial Hospital (DCMH)/Ministry Free Dental Clinic, and the Door County Public Health Department to provide prevention and education regarding the importance of daily dental hygiene to underinsured and uninsured children of Door County. Committee members include Teresa Mertens, Wisconsin WIC Program; Mary Ellen Smith, RN, Door County Public Health; Coordinator Mary Ann Zjala/DCMH-Ministry Dental Clinic; and two Spanish translators, Rosie Roberts and Imelda Delchambre. The initiative’s fluoride varnish clinics, which were provided both this year and last, were funded by an Area Health Education Center (AHEC) grant. The language of this AHEC grant was successfully penned and submitted through coordinative efforts of the DCMH Foundation Office. For more information, contact Mary Ann Zjala at (920) 746-1071.
About NWTC Sturgeon Bay
The 60,000 square foot NWTC Sturgeon Bay campus is located at 229 N 14th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay. In addition to the Nursing-Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs, the campus offers many associate degree, technical diploma, and certificate programs that allow local residents to achieve their educational goals close to home. For more information, call (920) 746-4904.