Community Outreach

AAFP Opportunities

Tar Wars -- The AAFP's Tar Wars program seeks volunteers to help educate children on the importance of leading a tobacco-free lifestyle. You will find information on this site that will help you learn more about making a difference as a classroom presenter of the Tar Wars Program. Contact information, lesson plans and Tar Wars program presentation materials are available on the site.

Ready, Set, FIT! -- Ready, Set, FIT! is a school-based educational program that teaches third and fourth graders about the importance of fitness. Medical students can get involved as classroom presenters to teach kids about being fit, eating smart and feeling good. The Web site offers tools for presenters and explains the role of the AAFP's fitness initiative, Americans in Motion (AIM), in this project.

Other Opportunities

Albert Schweitzer U.S. Fellows Programs -- This one-year interdisciplinary fellowship program is focused on community service, leadership development, and reflection. Graduate students in health-related professional fields who are dedicated to addressing unmet health needs in their local areas are applicable. Since being launched in 1991, the U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programs have grown to include programs in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New Hampshire/Vermont, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh.

AMA-MSS Community Service -- If you are a member of the AMA, you have an opportunity to get involved in community service activities at the national, state and local levels. The Medical Student Section provides guidelines on planning and executing successful community projects, project ideas and possible funding opportunities. The site also contains information on student-run free clinics.

AMSA Community and Environmental Health Action Committee -- This committee of the American Medical Student Association is dedicated to improving public health education in medical schools and advancing the health of communities.

Caring for Community: A National Medical Student Service Project -- Sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, this project seeks to provide support for community service projects and encourages medical schools to explore new ways to serve their communities. Eligible programs may range from those that promote awareness about sexually transmitted diseases, to vaccination and literacy programs, to any program that fulfills an unmet need within the community.

SNMA Community Service Protocols -- The Student National Medical Association is committed to reducing morbidity and mortality in underserved communities. This site provides information on programs designed to empower communities to make healthy lifestyle choices, including Smoking Cessation Protocol, Violence Prevention Curriculum and Sexual Health Awareness.