1. Public Health: Service Learning Project 

During my time within the dental hygiene program, one of the most rewarding accomplishments I had experienced was being able to educate young 5th grade students at P.S. 11 Queens about the importance of oral health. I went with a group of my other peers who were Shakera Islam, Anita Sabotic, and Khalia Sibblies. Together we all collaborated to present these students with a general idea of oral health, why it’s important, how to maintain it, and what could happen if someone doesn’t manage their oral health properly. Within our presentations, We also used oversized dental models and props to visually demonstrate correct brushing methods, organized educational games and quizzes to reinforce key messages, and handed out oral hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and informational pamphlets for students and their families. Through this presentation, we hoped to instill lasting habits that would benefit the students throughout their lives. 

In terms of my individual role, I contributed by creating the slides that discussed tooth decay, and how it’s caused. In those slides, I made sure to simplify technical terms and add real-life examples so that it would be easily understood by a group of kids. Furthermore, when I presented those slides, I spoke effectively in a way that would be engaging for the kids to keep them interested and ensure they understand the material. Additionally, I utilized the dental models and props to vividly demonstrate the proper way to brush and floss. I also emphasized on the importance of regular dental visits and how they can provide sealants and apply topical fluoride varnish to prevent tooth decay. Furthermore, during the quizz-based game, I put in my best efforts to ensure that it was interactive and fun so that the kids associate oral health with positivity. Overall, my contributions played a key role in ensuring the event was clear, interesting, fun and impactful for the students. 

2. Public health- Head Start

On April 29th 2025, I had the privilege of taking part in a public health outreach event at Neptune Family Pre-K – Head Start. During this event, my classmate Anita Sabotic, and I taught children aged 4-5 years of age about the basics of proper tooth brushing and what cavities are. I gave instructions on the importance of brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes with a soft toothbrush. I emphasized how the tongue accumulates bacteria, which is why it’s important to clean and utilize a tongue scraper. In order to convey these messages, I utilized a dental model to illustrate the proper way of brushing and cleaning tongues. Furthermore, I made sure to discuss the negative impacts of sugary drinks and to instead consume fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, since this is a group of preschoolers, many still drink milk in bottles at bedtime so I highlighted the importance of quitting this habit and what impacts could occur if they continued. To make the session more engaging. Anita and I interacted with students and asked several questions on their dental health and their experiences with dental visits. Following the presentation, we distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to encourage healthy dental habits at home. This experience helped encourage early awareness of oral health and allowed me to strengthen my ability to educate young children.