Dental Hygiene Students Collaborate with Seven Hills

First-year dental hygiene students at QCC have been performing a service learning activity with Seven Hills ASPiRE!, an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation. The ASPiRE! program offers innovative and creative programming that provides opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and brain injury to develop skills necessary to pursue interests in employment, recreation, and social interaction.

QCC's Dental Hygiene Program has been collaborating with this affiliate since 2008, acknowledging the importance of these opportunities for clinical and personal development of the dental hygiene students. First-year students provide oral screenings to identify the oral health needs of ASPiRE! clients then return to teach them methods to address the specific needs of those screened.

Last month, the students worked in groups to prepare oral health topics they could then present to various classrooms at ASPiRE!. Despite the rigors of clinicals and class work, the students enjoyed engaging with the ASPiRE! community and applying classroom theory to real-world experiences. The work they do with this community is an introduction for the dental hygiene students to the additional service learning experiences that are required as second-year dental hygiene students. 

For more information contact Professor of Dental Hygiene Elaine Trottier at etrottier [at] qcc.mass.edu.