Project Connect

Matt Herrmann, Summer 2012

Project Connect is an organization founded through Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) to provide educational and enrichment opportunities for children suffering from homelessness in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The program was founded in 1996, and operates from the Fairview-Clifton German Language School. It is a completely free summer camp for homeless children that receives generous donations from CPS and other local businesses. The camp aims to remove any potential barriers to the educational and recreational opportunities it offers by providing each child with bus transportation, two meals and an afternoon snack every day, school supplies, swimsuits, and backpacks.

The camp is generally separated into two groups: one consisting of children 6-8 years old, the second consisting of 9-12 year olds. I worked almost exclusively with the 6-8 year old group. For one hour after breakfast, I tutored a small group of eight on reading and writing skills, following a lesson plan provided by a CPS teacher. After an hour of tutoring children in reading and writing, we reconvened in a larger group setting to tutor the children in mathematics until it is time to eat lunch. After lunch, the remainder of the day is spent on recess time and field trips that would not be available to these children without Project Connect. We went on trips to Cincinnati Reds’ games, Lincoln Recreation Center, Coney Island, Kings Island, Sawyer Point, and the Cincinnati Zoo.

Due to a large variety of circumstances that often remain unknown to the staff at Project Connect, many of the children who utilize the camp’s services do not have an adequate knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The goal of my summer project was to remedy that situation by giving a series of presentations and demonstrations to all participants at Project Connect. Each of my 10 minute talks on hygiene, first aid/safety, and physical fitness consisted of a poster with relevant information regarding the topic of interest. I also demonstrated proper hand washing techniques at the beginning of the summer by utilizing a special fluorescent hand lotion called “Glo Germ” that simulates what hands look like if they are not washed properly with soap and water. Additionally, I utilized grant money to put together small first aid and hygiene kits that the children were able to take back to the shelters with them. My hope is that the children took away vital information from my talks that they can start to apply to their daily habits and behaviors.

Working with Project Connect this past summer has been a wonderful and rewarding experience. While it can certainly be challenging at times to work with such a vulnerable population that has experienced so much hardship in their young lives, I’ve learned so much that I can apply to my future career as a physician. I think that the most important thing that I will take away from this summer experience is that I will be able to better empathize with the challenges that people face. In working with these young kids, I’ve discovered how important it is to put yourself in the mindset of the people you work with. This will undoubtedly be critical for becoming a competent and compassionate doctor in the future, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Project Connect this summer.