Columbus-Athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program
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Date
2018-04
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The presenters will provide a brief overview of the Columbus-Athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program and showcase the service projects of the 2017-2018 fellows. We will explain opportunities to become an ASF fellow, serve on our advisory board, serve as a community site for future fellows' projects, serve as a faculty mentor for an ASF fellow, and share ideas for future directions of our chapter.
Description
The Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows (ASF) Program – one of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship's 13 locations across the United States — facilitates service projects to benefit the Columbus and Athens communities, and simultaneously develops emerging professionals who have the skills to address unmet health-related needs throughout their careers. Launched in 2010 with the help of a significant seed grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and hosted by The Ohio State University, the Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows Program is the first ASF program site in Ohio and one of only three in the Midwest. ASF history and mission: ASF was initially founded in 1940 to support Dr. Albert Schweitzer's hospital in Africa. The U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Program, launched in 1991, supports and trains emerging health-focused graduate and professional students in creating and carrying out yearlong service projects that address unmet community needs. ASF's mission is to develop leaders in service: individuals who are dedicated to and skilled in addressing the social determinants of health in underserved communities, and whose example influences and inspires others. Annually, U.S. Schweitzer Fellows deliver more than 40,000 hours of community service addressing the social determinants of health. When Fellows' initial year ends, they carry their skills and commitment forward as members of the Schweitzer Fellows for Life alumni network, now more than 2,000 strong. The Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows Program's goals are: 1) to provide skilled and compassionate direct services that address important unmet needs of local underserved individuals and communities; 2) to support and train emerging professional leaders in ways that strengthen their commitment to, and skills in, public service; and 3) to develop a pipeline of emerging professionals with the capacity to effect change in the social and health care systems that will reduce and ultimately eliminate disparities impacting people's health and lives. The Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows Program administers and supports community service fellowships that are conducted in Columbus and Athens from April to April. Participants are graduate students whose fields of study and/or personal interests are relevant to the goals and mission of the program. These interdisciplinary Schweitzer Fellows receive stipends in the amount of $3,000. They design and carry out projects that provide at least 200 hours of service in partnership with an existing community agency and under the supervision of an academic and community-based mentor. Projects include at least 100 hours of direct client contact with an emphasis placed on activities that will have an enduring benefit to the agency. Fellows also attend an orientation retreat and monthly meetings and participate in reflective leadership. Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Maria Gallo are the current co-program directors.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing, College of Nursing Graduate Studies, and Co-Director, Columbus-athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program, fitzgerald.118@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Maria Gallo, Associate Professor, College of Public Health, and Co-Director, Columbus-athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing, College of Nursing Graduate Studies, and Co-Director, Columbus-athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program, fitzgerald.118@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Maria Gallo, Associate Professor, College of Public Health, and Co-Director, Columbus-athens Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program.
Keywords
leaders, engaged service, capacity to effect change
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).