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Cosby High School Collaboration

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Project Description

Mentor/Service Learning Course

Application to take Mentor/ Service Learning Course

Description of Service Learning Courses

Cosby High School Home Page

Richmond Times Dispatch Article

Project Partners

Project Description

Cosby High School is located in Chesterfield County. The high school has recently opened a specialty center designed for high school students who wish to pursue careers in the health sciences. See the Richmond Times Dispatch article for more details.

During the spring 2008 semester, Dr. Seth Leibowitz, director of Pre-Health Sciences Advising and Donna Jackson, director of Outreach for VCU School of Medicine, will teach a course in Cosby High School to help students make informed choices about the health professions they wish to pursue, and to help them plan a pathway to pursue their careers. The high school class will involve in-class exercises, lectures and lab experiences, in which the high school students will visit the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

Mentor / Service Learning Course

Fifteen undergraduate VCU students will be chosen to participate in a service learning / mentoring class. The class will be a 3 credit service learning course that counts toward filling an Urban Environment Requirement in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Participation in the class will involve learning skills to become mentors to the high school students who are exploring career options in the health professions. Mentors will be required to coordinate activities to help the high school students learn more about careers in the health sciences. In addition, mentors will be expected to attend designated high school classes at Cosby and lab activities happening on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

All service activities and class meetings will take place during the class' designated meeting times. The class will meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you are selected to become a mentor, registration for the mentor class will take place via override. Mentors will be expected to schedule spring 2008 classes around these designated meeting times.

There will be lectures and planning meetings to be held in Room 2113 of the business buildings. During seven of the class meetings, mentors will be expected to attend the high school classes to lead discussions and exercises. During six of the class meetings, mentors will be expected to escort high school students in prearranged activities happening on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

Students who wish to become mentors will be required to fill out an application and submit it by the designated due date.

Project Partners

University College

Center for Health Disparities

Cosby High School and Chesterfield Board of Education

Virginia Mentoring Partnership

VCU Division of Community Engagement

VCU School of Medicine

VCU School of Dentistry

VCU School of Pharmacy

VCU School of Allied Health

VCU School of Nursing