ASU Partnership
Lifelong Learning
“NWI has been an excellent community partner given their time in the community and the local relationships they have established. Our students have enjoyed working with them and visiting Naco”
In 2019, Naco Wellness Initiative began a partnership with Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and with GlobalResolve, an international service-learning program within Barrett, The Honors College. It has allowed NWI to bring university-level educators, resources, and technology to Naco.
GlobalResolve student project teams, led by ASU mentors in collaboration with community partners in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, develop projects to address local challenges related to climate change, community health, and business and human rights. GlobalResolve has three main objectives: expose honors students to life-changing and culturally immersive experiences that make a positive impact in the world; design people-centered solutions and build mutual understanding; and empower grassroots communities with solutions and skills that increase community resilience.
The San Jose Organic Community Garden weather station was installed to help ASU honors students study the effects of climate change on desert environments. The ASU honors students taught Naco high school students to operate and maintain the station, both to benefit the community and develop their high-tech job skills. GlobalResolve’s gift of a 3D printer is part of a one-year Engineering by Design course ASU honors students are creating to introduce Naco students to basic engineering skills such as drafting, modeling, and 3D printer software. Toward the end of the course, students will use the 3D printer as part of a design challenge to address issues in their community.
Students at the Edson College of Nursing have trained NWI Promotoras who work in the clinics in person and via video, and taught them to teach community residents about nutrition, and dental and personal hygiene. The ASU team has helped the Promotoras assess community health needs and created the gardening and nutrition materials Promotoras share in Naco schools. The materials include many options so teachers can tailor them to students by age and ability.
“NWI has been an excellent community partner given their time in the community and the local relationships they have established. Our students have enjoyed working with them and visiting Naco,” said Jason Briggs, Senior Director of the Office of Global Initiatives at Barrett, The Honors College.
NWI’s connections help the students launch their programs more quickly and ensure they are sustained long-term. Naco’s proximity to ASU in Tempe, AZ, also makes field-site work more affordable for university students.
BECOME AN ACADEMIC PARTNER
The NWI clinics are a hands-on approach to learning and sharing knowledge. Are you a student or professor interested in collaborating with us? Contact us today!