San Francisco-Based Non-Profit Receives Award of Excellence for Community-Based Education Programs Across the Globe
SAN FRANCISCO, September 28, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Child Family Health International (CFHI), a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization and leader in creating ethical global health education experiences to over 10,000 participants since 1992, has received the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) Award of Excellence for Outstanding Leader in Experiential Education: Community-Based Organization. This award recognizes a community-based organization that has made outstanding contributions to the field. Nomination criteria includes design, development, and implementation of experiential education programs, advocacy for community-based programming, and service to promote model programs.
“We are honored and delighted to receive this recognition. Our program’s success relies on the commitment of our team, the program participants, and donors who support our vision and mission,” says Jessica Evert, M.D., CFHI’s Executive Director.
CFHI is a leader in creating ethical global health programs that challenge the status quo of traditional global health student engagement. “Too often, programs focus heavily on high-volume patient care in “pop-up” or makeshift settings, or on research that benefits the student or institution but not the host community,” says Dr. Evert. “Rather than basing initiatives conceived and built by trainees and program participants, CHFI encourages students to think about the ethical implication of their experience.”
“Getting into the trenches of real life, with real people, and understanding the complex realities that shape our world is essential for future professionals. Their work will be more impactful and empathetic if they understand the intersection of health and social determinants of health globally,” she says.
CFHI’s driving philosophy encourages students to “Let the world change you,” which highlights the importance of a humility-based approach to global health engagement for students and professionals. CFHI centers around an asset-based approach for engaging communities abroad, helping program participants learn, reflect, and realize that often the most important impact in their role abroad has been the connections and relationships they have formed.
CFHI has paved the way in global health experiential programs by offering programs for interdisciplinary students at various levels (pre-health undergraduate through graduate level and beyond) as well as through collaborating with organizations and networks in the field to identify and study unethical practices and to set concrete standards to improve and hold accountability.
The award was accepted by CFHI’s Director of Programs and Operations Robin Young during the NSEE National Conference held in Savannah, Georgia on September 25th.
About CFHI
Founded in 1992, CFHI (http://www.cfhi.org) is a non-government organization (NGO) operating at the grassroots level to provide transformative global health education experiences and community empowerment in underserved communities around the world. CFHI offers 30+ Global Health Education Programs designed to broaden students' perspectives about global health - as well as a variety of community health initiatives and projects - in developing countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, India, Argentina, Mexico, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana and the Philippines. More than 8,000 students have participated in CFHI programs to date. CFHI has been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC)
Source: Child Family Health International
