Elev8 Chicago Students Participate in Community Health Fair

On June 10, Elev8 Chicago students participated in the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation annual health fair. The health fair included 43 vendors offering hypertension and diabetes screening, and information on heart disease, reproductive health, asthma, obesity and malnutrition. Additionally, community members were assisted in applying for health insurance.

Several hundred residents of Auburn-Gresham and surrounding neighborhoods gained healthcare knowledge and took advantage of basic clinical services. “The Auburn-Gresham community was once known as a health desert,” added Kasheika Brown, Elev8 health corps worker at Perspectives Middle School. “By bringing healthcare resources, our residents will receive services they would not otherwise have.”

Residents and vendors at the fair.

Tenisha Jones, the Elev8 director at Perspectives Middle School, said she works to build partnerships and spread the word. “My goal is to bring all the key elements of Elev8 out to the community.” 

Elev8 Chicago students were active at the health fair and stressed the importance of continued funding for Elev8. Of great importance were their efforts in securing 200 signatures petitioning Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for additional Elev8 funding. Elev8 Chicago eighth grader Christopher Criddell was an active participant in securing signatures. “We’re trying to get people to understand the program and get their signatures to support it. … It’s a great program that should be in more schools,” he said.

The health fair ended with a performance from students participating in martial arts and hip-hop dance to demonstrate the multifaceted programming Elev8 offers.