Partnership with purpose and results
There are several activities this week to celebrate Marty Meehan’s inauguration as UML chancellor, many which interest me. For instance, yesterday I attended a breakfast on Achieving Excellence Through Partnerships. Most would agree that partnerships are important for Lowell’s continued progress, especially during these fiscally challenging times, and it was interesting to learn more about connections between the university, businesses, and the communities of both Lowell and Lawrence. As someone committed to expanding more partnerships with our public schools, I know how difficult it can be. That’s why when I learned about the simple, yet effective tobacco-prevention initiative with Lowell fifth graders, it resonated. Under the Greater Lowell Health Alliance, a partnership developed that included UML, Saints Memorial, Lowell General, the Community Health Center, and the Lowell Public Schools. As with most good partners, they had a specific goal and target group: educating youngsters about the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
Public school staff, using curriculum developed before state funding for tobacco prevention was depleted, trained healthcare volunteers (many of whom are nurses) on the curriculum and how to present the material in an engaging, informative way to fifth-grade students across the district. By the end of this school year, the program, which is already underway, will educate 46 fifth-grade classes on the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes, peer pressure, and other aspects of tobacco prevention. The sad reality is that our public schools do not have the resources to do comprehensive health education k-12 around nutrition; fitness; drugs, alcohol and substance abuse; as well as other areas that would benefit our students. The fact that this partnership is helping to fill the gap provides some comfort.