MCH Student Planning Committee

Maternal and Child Health Social Committee

Mission Statement

The mission of the Maternal and Child Health Social Committee (MCHSC) is to enhance the experience of students in the Maternal and Child Health Program (MCHP) at UIC SPH by providing a safe space for conversation and encouraging informal relationships with other students, faculty, and staff of the MCH program.

Membership

Every student enrolled in the Maternal and Child Health Program at UIC SPH is a member of the MCHSC. This inclusive enrollment allows students to attend planning meetings and events. The Committee serves students in both cohorts at any one time, thereby fusing the two separate groups of students into one. Because the MCHSC involves both cohorts of students, the second-year cohort of students is able to guide the first-year cohort of students through their academic career here at UIC SPH. Upon graduation, first-year students become the new “leaders” of the Committee, which allows for an easy transition between cohorts of students.

Logistics

The MCHSC meets once a month to plan the next monthly MCH social event. The events are open to all MCH students at UIC SPH regardless of their participation in the MCHSC planning meetings.

A sample of past MCHSC events include:

• Private belly dancing class taught by an undergraduate UIC student to encourage MCH students to embrace their bodies.
• Serving dinner at a local homeless shelter for women, children, and families, followed by dinner at a restaurant completely staffed by formerly-homeless students in a work training program.

MCH Mentorship Program

FIRST-YEARS: Unsure about practicum expectations or going about finding a practicum site? Not sure if you should take a certain required MCH course next semester or next year? Sign up for the MCH Mentorship Program and be paired with someone who can share the wisdom they've gained over the last year and help you navigate the system!

SECOND (or THIRD or FOURTH, etc)- YEARS: Did you wish you had more advice last year when looking for a place to do your practicum? Did you wish you had someone to recommend good courses to you last year? Help a first-year MCH student feel supported during their first year of the MCHP by signing up for the MCH Mentorship Program!

The program will pair up a first-year student with a second-year student based on their division, track, and areas of interest and expects mentors to connect with their mentees once a month by phone, email, or in person and be available for questions if any pressing issues arise between those scheduled times. Besides that, pairs are free to make of it what they want and adapt it to their individual needs, schedules, etc.

If you are a UIC MCH student interested in joining the MCHSC or signing up for the MCH Mentorship Program, please contact Amanda Giese, MCHP Graduate Assistant and MCHSC Chair at agiese2@uic.edu.