For this project, the UCSF-Fresno Pediatrics Residency Program will partner with Fresno Unified School District and other community members (including Fresno State University) to develop and implement a longitudinal child advocacy and social justice curriculum for trainees along a health professions pipeline that promotes the health of middle and high school students, their families, and the local community. The program will target college students (including pre-medical and physical therapy students), third year medical students, pediatric and family practice residents, faculty (both pediatric and family practice faculty as well as middle and high school faculty), and other members of the local community.

The overall purpose of this collaborative effort is to foster the development of lifelong advocacy skills through skill-building seminars in advocacy, and by participation in school-based projects addressing the needs of the local community. By serving a community known for its ethnic, cultural, and language diversity, high poverty rate, and lack of access to healthy foods, our learners will experience first-hand the health disparities facing the community and will acquire skills in working to eliminate these disparities. This will allow them to gain insight into how health professionals can be strong advocates for their community and how their advocacy can benefit the community as a whole.