As part of a longstanding relationship with the University of Minnesota, Pathways to Children is beginning a new chapter of support with the U’s Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility (CGHSR). Support from Pathways to Children will build on CGHSR’s work of critical global health education programs for graduate students and community learners.
Picture Captions: 1) Students in CGHSR’s global health course in India visit the Viveka Tribal Center for Learning, a rural school run by the partner organization Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement 2) A visit to Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement’s Palliative Care Centre taught students about aging and health, social services for the elderly, and holistic approaches to wellbeing 3) Students, in CGHSR’s global health course in India, visit an urban primary care clinic in Mysore, India and 4) Students collaborate on stakeholder mapping during a leadership seminar led by Dr. R Balasubramaniam, founder of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement.
For over a decade, CGHSR has been a force in the U of M community to champion sustainable, equitable global health. Building on relationships with CGHSR’s global community and partners, the center offers a suite of education programs both abroad and at home in Minnesota. CGHSR runs embedded courses in Mysore, India and Quito, Ecuador in partnership with local non-governmental organizations in each site.
Pathways to Children will play a critical role in supporting student participation in these programs. Through the generosity of Pathways to Children, CGHSR will offer new global health scholarships aimed at removing financial barriers for any U of M graduate student who wants to participate in an education program.
Pathways to Children’s support will also allow CGHSR to increase monitoring and evaluation for education programs to ensure student safety, satisfaction, and success while they travel abroad.
”Pathways to Children is playing a critical role in ensuring that our students have access to safe and ethical education experiences that allow them to learn from and with our global community partners,” said Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, Executive Director of CGHSR and Associate Vice President of Global & Rural Health at the University of Minnesota.
In addition to graduate students, CGHSR education programs are open to community learners such as U of M faculty, staff, and alumni. The Pathways to Children community is also invited to get involved in these programs as community learners.
CGHSR Education Programs
Social responsibility and ethical engagement is at the heart of CGHSR’s approach to facilitating and supporting global health education. Through experiential education programs, CGHSR builds connections and enhances knowledge alongside future global health practitioners, professionals, and leaders.
The Pathways to Children donors and community are welcome to participate in CGHSR education programs as community learners. All participants, including U of M students, must first submit an application and be accepted to participate.
India: Global Health, Globalization, and Leadership – This course explores health, health care delivery, and social determinants in the context of globalization in India. The course is offered in partnership with the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a non-governmental organization headquartered in Mysore, India. The course runs for three weeks in December and January during the U’s winter break—approximately December 27 until MLK Jr. Day.
globalhealthcenter.umn.edu/india
Ecuador: Social, Environmental, and Cultural Determinants of Health – In this 2-week course, participants will learn about public health & health care infrastructure in Ecuador, including western & Indigenous health practices. This course is offered in partnership with Fundación Cimas del Ecuador, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Quito, Ecuador. The course runs during the last two weeks of May.
globalhealthcenter.umn.edu/ecuador
Global Health in Local Contexts – This is a semester-long course that immerses students in the study of health equity and community-based healthcare. The course is “classroom-less” and takes place at community settings throughout the Twin Cities. Students also engage in online learning with peers in Uganda and Haiti who will be engaged in parallel, geographically-based courses taught by the organization EqualHealth. This course runs from Labor Day in September through mid-December each year.
globalhealthcenter.umn.edu/global-local
Global Health Ethics – This is a traditional on-campus U of M course which examines the current state of global health and the ethical frameworks that need to be considered in global health engagements. The course is taught by CGHSR executive director, Dr. Shailey Prasad. This course runs from Labor Day in September through mid-October each year.