The sound of laughter and giggles echoed across several classrooms at the University of Maryland School of Public Health as students played charades, drawing scenarios from a jar.
“Pretend to wash hands for 20 seconds” read one of the situations. “Act out preparing a healthy meal” another one stated.
Students took turns acting out several examples of everyday health practices while the rest guessed enthusiastically. While it seemed like a basic lecture hall icebreaker, these students were not quite SPH terps — at least not yet.
Over 100 sixth graders from College Park Academy were visiting SPH in an event hosted by a new university club called Youth in Public Health (YIPH)
The club was started by two pioneering public health students: Shafa Alam, a senior public health science, major and SPH recent alum, Rameen Aamir, ‘25
Alam wishes she had learned more about public health in high school. And while she can’t go back, she’s paying her experiences in public health forward. She worked with fellow terp Aamir to launch their idea as an official university club in Spring 2024 connecting local children and teens with public health college students to raise awareness of the field and provide mentorship.
“Coming into college, I didn't know much about public health. I wish I had had more opportunities to explore and learn about the field earlier,” said Alam, YIPH president.
“Our aim is to have a one-stop place for public health-related activities for children, with mentorship from public health college students.”
The club has been busy since launching, helping with a College Park Academy tour, hosting a panel to introduce younger students to public health and inspire their interest in the field, and facilitating a visit of children from Elmer Wolfe Elementary School to SPH to learn more about public health.
“Our mission focuses on empowering the next generation to understand what public health truly means and how it impacts everyday life,” said junior public health science major Eliza Aamir, the club's vice president.
YIPH also offers an opportunity for college students to serve as advocates of public health values and to strengthen their mentorship skills.
“Youth in Public Health is such an important club. We want students to see that public health isn’t just a field of study, but also a field that touches every aspect of life,” said Rokia Diop, YIPH’s event coordinator and a junior public health science major.
Through engaging classroom lessons with local schools, the club stresses the importance of early education learning. They help teach children and teens about how to stay healthier along with learning about the field of public health. This forward-looking group believes that inspiring younger students to think about health equity early on will help build a stronger, more informed next generation of changemakers.
–Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly