Global Health Narratives for Change Is a Non-Profit Organization Created in Support Of

Global Health Narratives for Change

Global Health Narratives for Change is a non-profit organization created in support of “Global Health Narratives: A Reader for Youth”. This collection of unique narratives about young people's experiences from around the world serves as a valuable educational tool, providing youth with a context for understanding global health from a cultural, social, psychological and physiological perspective. Representing six geographical regions and twenty-three countries, these stories address chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and epilepsy; infectious diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and typhoid; and mental and behavioral health issues such as depression, eating disorders, and smoking cessation. Global Health Narrative for Change was created in support of the “Global Health Narratives” book. Through the non-profit, we aim to develop a unique global health education curriculum to provide middle and high school teachers with tools to educate youth in the U.S. about critical health issues both at home and abroad. Currently, we are developing a professional website to provide teachers with access to teaching guides and other supplemental educational tools, such as audio files of each narrative, overview 2 minute videos about each country highlighted in the book, and geographical-mapping projects. “Global Health Narratives” is the first of a series of books aiming to provide global health education curricula for middle and high school students. The concept of these books, the narratives within them, and the supplemental curricula is based on the need to provide creative, interdisciplinary, and progressive tools to teach youth about global health issues and to promote knowledge and interest in these critical problems.

Current Accomplishments:

-  published Mendenhall E, Ed. 2009. “Global Health Narratives: A Reader for Youth.” Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

-  Teaching guides to supplement narratives (total narratives = 32); see http://ghn4c.blogspot.com

Short term goals:

-  Receive documentation of tax exemption/501©(3) status from IRS

-  Raise $30,000 to pay for website and supplemental videos

-  Collaborate with others interested in innovative youth-centered projects that focus on narrative and/or global health

-  Promote the book and online curricula

-  Follow-up with teachers about the utilization of Global Health Narratives in classrooms; get feedback and improve the book and online curricula

Long term goals:

-  Publish Environmental Health Narratives, Behavioral Health Narratives, and Mental Health Narratives

-  Continue to develop global health curriculum for youth

-  Continue to seek collaboration and build online community interested in global health education for youth in the U.S. and abroad