ASU receives $136,000 Blue & You Basis for a More healthy Arkansas grant
Arkansas State College has acquired a $136,000 grant for its Diversifying our Curing Neighborhood (DOCC) program from the Blue & You Basis for a More healthy Arkansas. It’s the second yr in a row the varsity has acquired funding from the muse.
DOCC is a four-year program for college kids occupied with a profession as a medical physician. College students who qualify obtain a number of advantages together with a $1,500 stipend per semester, intensive advising and mentoring by science college members.
The target of this system consists of the recruiting of high-quality college students, connecting the scholars with a school mentor, constructing a cohort of scholars who will assist each other, present monetary and tutorial assist for college kids in this system and ensure college students have entry to job shadowing and internship alternatives to assist them shine in medical college functions.
Dr. Lonnie Williams, adjunct college member within the Division of Academic Management, Curriculum and Particular Schooling, not too long ago submitted a report on the primary yr of this system to the Blue & You Basis.
This system started in fall 2021 with the primary cohort of six college students. The second cohort in fall 2022 added 4 extra college students. Williams mentioned in the summertime of 2022, college students from each teams have been capable of take part. “
This allowed for a mentorship to develop between the contributors with cohort one turning into mentors to the newer contributors,” mentioned Williams.
He mentioned the 4 new DOCC contributors pressured how necessary it was to have a relationship with the primary group of scholars and the way a lot it helped them. A part of this system is to offer college students with some monetary and tutorial assist.
“The $600 stipend for finishing the summer season program and the $1,500 awarded in the course of the fall and spring semesters considerably help the scholars in assembly their monetary wants and reduces every pupil’s have to work,” mentioned Williams.
The primary yr of this system had many successes together with 100% retention of scholars within the first-year cohort. 4 of the six college students in that group had paid internships in the summertime of 2022 working with UAMS and NEA Baptist Hospital.
Williams mentioned their largest lesson is the significance of the two-week summer season program. DOCC offers a one-week program with a second week hosted by A-State INSPIRE.
“These two weeks served to attach college students with their college members and program workers, created a bond (togetherness) among the many group, and developed a degree of consolation and confidence among the many college students,” mentioned Williams.
Funds from this grant will permit this program to proceed and provides college students who qualify a greater alternative of their path to use for, attend and graduate from medical college.
Since 2001, the Blue & You Basis has awarded greater than $45 million to nonprofits and governmental businesses in all 75 counties.
