Bible Center Church – The Oasis Project
Title: Encouraging Healthy Habits in Homewood Youth (Healthy Start Passport & Curriculum)
Student Interns:
Emma Kotes
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Julia Wiegers
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Sharon Connor, PharmD
University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Community Preceptor:
Cynthia M. Wallace, EdD
Executive Director, Bible Center Church
Community Site:
The Oasis Project serves as the community and economic development arm of Bible Center Church, located in Homewood, PA. Its name reflects a powerful vision: to create oases — spaces of peace, safety, and joy within a historically underserved community. The Oasis Project aims to bridge the gap in a neighborhood where many children face limited access to the opportunities available in better-resourced areas. With initiatives focused on education, employment, and entrepreneurship, the organization is dedicated to empowering local youth while also fostering lasting environmental transformation within the Homewood community.
Team’s Experience:
This was the Bible Center Church’s first summer partnering with the Bridging the Gaps program and hosting interns. It was also the first summer that the University of Pittsburgh medical students in the primary care accelerated track were paired with a community site rather than with their longitudinal clinical sites. Given their dedication to primary care, the Bridging the Gaps student interns decided to educate the Homewood community youth about healthy and preventive habits. They developed lesson plans for preschool- through high school-aged children, based on direct input from participants in the Early Learning Center, Maker’s Clubhouse summer camp, and Field2Fork programs. For children in grades K-4, the interns developed a “Healthy Start Passport” to encourage learning about basic healthy habits and preventive measures while simultaneously incentivizing their engagement. The interns planned to leave these passports, as well as their lesson plans, with the Bible Center Church to use for future lessons and camps run by the organization.
Reflections
“Working with the Homewood community, especially its youth, has opened my eyes to the meaningful impact we can have, even as medical students, through preventive healthcare. Being welcomed into this community has also prompted deep reflection on the kind of pediatrician I hope to become, and I could not be more grateful for the experience.”
Emma Kotes
“I’ve come to realize that the children and the Homewood community have taught me far more than I could ever have hoped to teach them. Their genuine curiosity, compassion for each other, and strong connection to their neighborhood have opened my eyes to the true meaning of health—one that extends beyond textbooks and clinical knowledge and is rooted in community.”
Julia Wiegers