The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation and Old Dominion University’s Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene are partnering to bring a unique program to the Commonwealth that will provide an educational pathway for diverse groups of high school students interested in pursuing careers as dental professionals.
The inaugural Dental Health Summer Institute kicks off July 18-22 and is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who are interested in learning more about a career in oral health. [Click here to register before March 28!] The free, virtual program includes an interactive curriculum that introduces students to a variety of dental health science topics throughout the week and efforts to familiarize students with the college admission process.
A particular focus of the institute is to bring underrepresented high school students into the profession. “Based on recent statistics from Virginia’s Healthcare Workforce Data Center, 19% of Virginia’s population is black, but only 6% of dentists are black. In addition, 10% of the population is Hispanic, yet only 5% of the dentists are Hispanic. Similar statistics exist for dental hygienists, where 5% are black and 5% are Hispanic,” said Polly Raible, Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation executive director. “It is clear that more needs to be done to diversify the dental workforce.”
In response to the staggering statistics, Foundation staff began researching programs that could be replicated or expanded to benefit Virginian residents. Research revealed the “Saturday Academy,” a similarly focused program developed by New York University’s School of Dentistry that has been in place for more than 10 years. The Saturday Academy takes place over seven Saturdays in the Fall and has introduced hundreds of high school students to the field of dentistry as a career option.
After learning more about the program and getting a better understanding of efforts to increase diversity from the dental hygiene schools in the Commonwealth, the Foundation sought a partner to bring a similar program to Virginia. Ann Bruhn, Associate Professor and Chair of the Gene W. Hirschfield School of Dental Hygiene at ODU, and her team were eager to answer the call and the Dental Health Summer Institute was born.
“It is very exciting for the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene to partner with the Foundation on the first Dental Health Summer Institute,” said Bruhn. “We’re eager to introduce our first class of Virginia high school students interested in the dental profession to the Institute and move intentionally towards building a more diverse dental workforce.”
During each session, students will participate in hands-on labs using tools sent to them prior to the program and be introduced to the process of applying for college. Students will take a virtual tour of campus and be connected with current hygiene students to learn more about their experiences in the program. On the last day, parents will be invited to a graduation ceremony with their students. In its inaugural year, the Dental Health Summer Institute hopes to graduate 30 students.
Applications for the Dental Health Summer Institute close on March 28. Interested students can apply at this link.