International Experiences
The College of Allied Health prides itself on being a college of helping professions. Helping in the local community just wasn't enough, our service goes global. Students, faculty, staff and even friends of the college participate in several different international experiences throughout the year-- and we keep adding more!
Palace Foundation - Mexico
An interprofessional team of students, faculty, and staff from the College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) along with community members and volunteer translators travel annually to Cancun, Mexico, for a service-learning experience in conjunction with the Palace Foundation.
This service-learning experience allows students to gain hands-on experience in their fields while making a difference in the lives of the people of Mexico. The team helps hundreds of individuals from the local community in locations such as the Center for Exceptional Children, local hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and nursing homes. The Palace Foundation provides room, board, and lodging broad and transportation for the team.
The scope of the service-learning experience has evolved over the last 10 years and today includes physical therapy, audiology and medical laboratory sciences. Current faculty leaders are Brian Earl, Elizabeth Hertenstein and Rose Smith with Beth Bextermueller as the liaison with the Palace Foundation.
The people of Mexico are so grateful. It really keeps you going when you haven't had a moment's rest or have barely ate lunch. It is all worth it when you hear ‘Mucho gusto. Muchas gracias!’ I want to emulate the appreciation I have been shown, especially when it is me who is so grateful for the opportunity to serve these people! So powerful!
CAHS Student
If you have questions about the Mexico international service learning experience, please contact Brian Earl, brian.earl@uc.edu
Viva Nicaragua Abroad in Costa Rica
Faculty partner with Viva Nicaragua Abroad, an NGO partner to bring students in the College of Allied Health Sciences' to Costa Rica each year. Students complete the experience as part of a course where they experience first-hand concepts like cross cultural empathy, the impact of service learning, unique cultural healthcare challenges and an understanding of poverty.
During the visit, the student's practice building trusting relationships with clients/patients so that they receive adequate information during an assessment. The better and more detailed assessment info they get, the better, more specific person-centered plans they are able to create for that client/patient. The more patient-centered and specific plan we make, the better the outcome.
I was able to learn a lot about the culture as well as see how the political persecution in Nicaragua has changed many fleeing Nicaraguans' lives. It was really fun to work with students from all across our college and use our different approaches and skills to overcome problems together.
Sam Kroeger Speech Language Hearing Science student
Xan Boone, associate professor in the school of social work, leads study abroad experiences to Costa Rica each year. Contact Xan Boone Xan.Boone@uc.edu for more details.
The Denmark study abroad experience is led by Barry Southers, PhD. Please contact him with any questions about this experience at: southegb@UCMAIL.UC.EDU
South Africa
Undergraduates in Communication Sciences and Disorders spent their spring break testing the hearing of elephants in Bela-Bela, South Africa. This was the second trip that Pete Scheifele, PhD, professor, and executive director of FETCHLAB, has made to Bela-Bela, South Africa as part of a project that is the first to ever test the hearing of African elephants.
The group did its research at Adventures With Elephants (AWE), a conservation reserve about 45 minutes west of Bela-Bela, which offers a variety of hands-on elephant experiences targeted to tourists.
The research project in Bela-Bela is part of a conservation effort to keep poachers from killing elephants and bringing ivory into other countries illegally, funded in part by the U.S. Army.
To be able to have such close up access to the elephants was an incredible experience and to be able to expand our current research efforts at an amazing facility like AWE was beyond rewarding. I hope that our research efforts will contribute to a better understanding of elephant hearing so that we can help protect the elephants from poaching and help conserve them.
Jenny Gale, CAHS graduate
Additional Opportunities
The University of Cincinnati has a variety of International Experience and Study Abroad options for students.