Semillas de Salud is a program that supports a recruiting pipeline in New Mexico. Semillas de Salud nurtures the educational, economic, and cultural health of our communities, while addressing the problem of Health Professional shortages in the state. The primary focus of the program is youth workforce development. In collaboration with schools, colleges, universities and other pipeline advocates, Semillas de Salud educates kids about possible job opportunities in the health field, offering health career clubs, mentoring, and on-site experiential opportunities.
Recent Semillas Activities
Recently Semillas de Salud took students from Espanola Valley High School, West Las Vegas high School, Penasco Middle and High School, and Valley Middle School to the Bodies Exhibition in Albuquerque. The kids were thrilled with this incredible exhibition and had raving reviews for this amazing experience.
Semillas de Salud Health Career Club at Valley School in El Pueblo, NM
This spring, twelve students, grades 3-6 from Valley Elementary and Middle School participated in a Semillas de Salud Health Career Club. The club was held twice a week in conjunction with the 21st Century afterschool program. Amanda Lovato, a Medical Assistant and Community Health Worker at the San Miguel Clinic and resident of the Valley, facilitated the club meetings.
Students in the club affectionately called it the “Nurse’s Club” although many in the club have aspirations of becoming doctors, veterinarians or other health professionals. Kyanna Gonzales, a 3rd grade participant in the club says, “I had fun in the ‘nurse’s club’. It was fun to go to UNM. I like learning about being a nurse or doctor.” Students in the club participated in activities designed to develop their self esteem as well as their math and science skills, such as a pickle dissection, human anatomy, and calculating and measuring sugar content of foods. Students also learned about the different health professions available and allied health skills such as taking blood pressures and measuring blood glucose.
Guest speaker, Matthew Probst, PA-C , Semillas de Salud Director, presented a sports medicine clinic to the club in which students were able to learn about joints and how to immobilize them. To culminate the club’s spring activities, May 11th the club travelled to the UNM health sciences center to visit the B.A.T.C.A.V.E, simulated trauma care learning center, and tour the campus including the UNM School of Medicine-Office of Diversity. Not surprisingly, club participant Carlos Gonzales, who spent the bus ride down playing video games, excelled on the virtual surgery simulator.
Several Community health promotion activities have been planned for the club participants in conjunction with the San Miguel and Villanueva Fiestas this summer. The hope is that these activities will continue the momentum forward till next fall, the overall goal of the Semillas de Salud program being to move interested children along in the health career pipeline.
