Prevention-Focused Volunteer Activities for Vulnerable Groups in Oral Health
Realizing Social Value
Silla University (President Heo Namsik) announced on December 23 that students from the 'WEHam' club in the Department of Dental Hygiene have received the Excellence Award at the 11th Communication Link University Student Volunteer Contest.
From the left, Kim Gamin, Vice President of the WEHam club of the Department of Dental Hygiene at Silla University, and Kang Minseo, President. Provided by Silla University
The 'Communication Link University Student Volunteer Contest' is a program jointly organized by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Kori Nuclear Power Headquarters and the Busan Volunteer Center. It invites creative volunteer activity proposals from university students in the Busan area and supports them in directly implementing these plans as part of a social value realization initiative.
Teams that were finally selected through document screening, including business plans in March this year, carried out their respective volunteer activities from April to October on site.
The 'WEHam' club students from the Department of Dental Hygiene at Silla University planned and operated oral health promotion and preventive dental care programs for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, foreign workers, and local residents.
They received high praise for not limiting their efforts to one-off volunteer activities, but instead providing systematic oral health education and preventive care services, thereby helping to reduce oral health disparities in the local community.
In recognition of these achievements, the 'WEHam' students received the Kori Nuclear Power Headquarters Director's Award. They announced that the 500,000 won prize money received at the award ceremony will be reinvested in activities to promote oral health in the community.
Kang Minseo, President of the 'WEHam' club and a student in the Department of Dental Hygiene at Silla University, said, "By directly providing oral health education to vulnerable groups, I was able to develop a sense of mission and responsibility as a healthcare professional. It was a meaningful experience to apply the dental hygiene knowledge I had learned in theory to the field, enhance my expertise, and make a tangible contribution to the local community."
Professor Kang Hyunkyung, the faculty advisor, commented, "This award recognizes the students' efforts not only as volunteers but also as future oral health professionals contributing to reducing oral health disparities in the community. The Department of Dental Hygiene will continue to do its best to nurture healthcare professionals with expertise who can make a real impact in the community."
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