School of Health Sciences Pilots Pen Pal Outreach Program
The initiative involves engaging a captive audience of 5-12-year-old elementary students, teaching them the benefits of pursuing a career in health care and adopting healthy habits.
Initiated by the USD School of Health Sciences, the program is based on the simple concept of pen pal writing: USD students would write periodic letters to an elementary school class, and the class would write back.
“The idea arose when we as a health sciences recruitment team brainstormed ways to better connect with a younger audience, in a more immersible way than we have before,” explained Regan Luken, USD nursing’s student services director and one of the USD staffers to brainstorm and launch the program. “We approached the Sioux Falls Public Schools to gauge interest and the letter writing idea took off from there.”
Around 40 USD health sciences students in various disciplines, including nursing, social work, dental hygiene and health sciences major, have participated in the pen pal program thus far. They write three letters per semester to their elementary class about health care in general, sharing tidbits about why they want to be a health care professional as well as some other fun experiences to engage with the children. The children return the letters, asking questions. At the end of the school year, the pen pal program culminates with a surprise visit day at the elementary school from the college students and Charlie Coyote, and the USD students engage with the classroom through fun activities promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
The elementary school to pilot the program was Discovery Elementary in Sioux Falls, where all teachers in grades K-5 classes had the opportunity to share letters with USD students from various health sciences majors.
“Our students are given an opportunity to inspire elementary students with this initiative,” explained Luken. “It allows them to build a strong connection to community and learn the value of serving their communities as future health care professionals.”
While giving USD students valuable skills they will carry into their careers, the program also exhibits the importance of interprofessional learning for all the students.
Recent dental hygiene graduate Olivia Sass partnered with a kindergarten class at Discovery Elementary for two years and said she enjoyed helping educate the kids about their oral health. “We talked about healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and unhealthy foods like candy,” Sass said. “I explained to them that the vegetables were good for their teeth, while the sweets could do bad things to their teeth. I hope they learn early how important healthy habits are.”
Second grade teacher Emily Otten is in her third year of teaching at Discovery Elementary School. Last year, her classroom was paired with two USD nursing students whom they corresponded with throughout the school year. After three letter exchanges, writing and reading collectively as a class, the final letters were written by the students themselves.
“My class learned about nursing as a career. One of the letters explained how going to the doctor doesn’t have to be scary, which was very relatable to the kids,” explained Otten. “The kids get excited to deviate from our usual writing curriculum for one day a week and instead work on our pen pal letters. The exercise helps with letter writing, but it also is good for them to explore and talk about college. Some kids may be exposed to college at home, but it may be a foreign concept for others.”
One of Otten’s second graders last year, Violet, said, “I learned how the jobs for each pen pal are different because one year we had a dental hygiene student and one year we had a nursing student. They both care for us, but in different ways.”
Lucy, another student who participated, shared, “I learned the importance of exercise and taking care of yourself.” Nora said, “My favorite part was reading the letters we received back from our pen pals because it taught me about the different health care providers, what college is like now and what caring for others can all mean.”
“They ask all the time if we’ve heard back from their ‘college friends,’” Otten said. “They love to hear what questions the college students ask, and they are excited to answer those. It has been fun to see.”
After a couple of successful years and many accolades, the pen pal program continues to prosper, expanding into more elementary schools. The hope is that the program’s success will propel it further into the future, exposing additional elementary schools to the importance of good health.
“We are thrilled with the way this program is going,” expressed Luken. “Everyone enjoys it so much and it has been a great experience. The USD School of Health Sciences is showcasing how our programs emphasize the importance of serving South Dakota and its communities to improve health outcomes.”
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