The West Virginia University School of Dentistry has been awarded a grant by Mountains of Hope to provide oral healthcare education and improve overall well-being in the community.
Supported by the school’s Wellness and Well-being Committee, the project – Walk, Talk, Chalk – aims to promote cancer prevention by educating participants about tobacco cessation and encouraging healthy behaviors while engaging in physical activity.
“Projects like Walk, Talk, Chalk provide an outlet to communicate interprofessionally with friends and peers across different departments of the Health Sciences Center to spread awareness and collaborate on important topics,” Morgan Wills, a sophomore in the B.S. in Dental Hygiene program, said. “I chose to participate to not only gain confidence in discussing the preventative side of Dental Hygiene, but to open lines of communication between future health professionals here at HSC.”
Each one-hour Walk, Talk, Chalk session is led by a student in the Dental Hygiene program or Doctor of Dental Surgery program. The student will guide individuals along the Gold or Blue Pick Your Path to Health walking paths on the Health Sciences Campus while talking about topics including tobacco cessation and prevention, nutrition, exercise and stress management. Individuals may also choose to sit on one of the outdoor benches while they chat. The session also includes the opportunity to share inspirational messages for living a healthy lifestyle with others by using chalk to write or draw on the walking paths.
“Getting to walk in the fresh air, talk to friends, family and classmates about important topics such as cancer prevention, and leave a message with chalk to raise awareness along the way makes this a rewarding service opportunity to take part in through the School of Dentistry,” Wills added.
Mountains of Hope West Virginia Cancer Coalition is a statewide network of organizations and individuals working together to create healthier communities and reduce the burden of cancer in the Mountain State.
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WVU School of Dentistry | WVU Dental