Professor: Nicole Kras, Ph.D.

Course: SOCI 231 – Introduction To Urban Community Health

Modality: Online Synchronous

Partner Institution: Jordan University Of Science And Technology

Links/Conference Presentation:

GSACS-Conference-Presentation-JUSTCUNY.pptx

Abstract of the Project:

Abstract of Project: As part of GSACS fellowship, I collaborated with a professor from Jordan University of Science and Technology to develop lessons, assignments, and a final collaborative research project with her mental health nursing students and my online introduction to urban community health students. The research question that guided this work was What inequalities and stigmas exist in seeking mental health care in Jordan and in New York City? Students had the opportunity to learn about Jordan and many of the social and political issues that influence their access to mental health in comparison to New York City.

In bi-national groups, students selected a topic related to this research question and created innovative advocacy campaigns to address challenges in accessing mental health care and identified ways to reduce barriers and address stigmas surrounding seeking mental health support. These presentations were shared with their classmates via Padlet and by student representatives at the online international GSACS conference in May where there were close to 500 attendees. Select reflections from Guttman students about this experience include the following:

 

• I liked to participate in this GSAC program because it allowed me to exchange ideas with my peers in Jordan, and think about how we can take action to advocate for the mental health stigmas and access to health care in our countries.
• The group work and research helped me understand the stigmas and what solutions we need to better understand mental health issues. Our group provided solutions such as education -programs provided by government and in schools; family support; affordable healthcare services; open communication, support group and social media. I learned that I have something in common with my international peers even though we have different cultures. We have the same goal which is to be aware of mental health problems, barriers and solutions. Also, to help and assist individuals who are in need.
• My interactions with my international peers had impacted my understanding stigmas on mental health because it’s in a different community and different country which could have different areas of problematic mental health issues. Since it was different countries relating to different mental health status it had to resolve itself with some different forms of resolutions to help the person who is in need.

 

Crafting the Project with Professor Partner: It was a great experience. We both knew from the beginning we wanted to focus on mental health. It was an especially relevant topic as we were emerging from the pandemic. This topic also addressed learning outcomes in both of our courses. Students approached this topic from nursing and community health perspectives. 

Student Engagement During the Partnership: In the beginning some students were a bit hesitant, but with some support, by the end of the semester, most students were fully engaged with their bi-national groups and presented well-developed final projects. Students enjoyed getting to meet new people and learning about a different culture.

Student Communication During the Project: Students worked collaboratively on some smaller assignments on Padlet. For the final project, each group decided how they were going to communicate with each other. Some groups used email, but most decided to use Whatsapp.

Biggest Obstacles Faced: Everything went pretty smoothly, but I would say the biggest obstacle was working with different semester and holiday schedules to make sure students were able to meet conference deadlines.

Evaluating Success: The GSACS fellowship was a wonderful opportunity to enrich student learning and provide students the opportunity to shift their perspectives and behaviors into an alternative cultural worldview to enhance the course experience (GSASC student learning outcome). Students received positive feedback on their collaborative conference presentation.  

Class Syllabus:

SOCI231_01_Spring-2023_Syllabus_Kras

Key GSACS Assignment:

GSAC-Collaborative-Project.docx