Hi everyone! My name is Katie Brown, and I am a senior Public Health student at OSU. My Summer Fellowship site is with KidSMILES Pediatric Dental Clinic. KidSMILES is a nonprofit that offers comprehensive dental care to families in need. They also engage in community outreach through schools, community events, and social service agencies across Central Ohio to educate kids about proper dental health and maintenance. This last part is what I will primarily be focusing on; my projects this Summer include increasing patient recruitment and education, updating marketing materials, working with KidSMILES’ social media, and any other projects thrown my way

I felt very welcomed on my first day at the clinic; it became clear that Laura, the Executive Director, wanted me to get as much out of this experience as I possibly could. She remembered that I mentioned possibly wanting to start my own non-profit someday, and she went above and beyond in creating a plan of work. Along with working on outreach, I was given non-profit development materials and strategic plans, and will get the chance to review grant proposals, assist in evaluating the effectiveness of outreach, and learn about recruiting donors. Receiving binders full of information and plans was a bit overwhelming, but I was given the chance to take a day to go through it all and work on a tentative plan to get everything done. My past internships and jobs were very structured, and I am excited for the challenge of working on projects and budgeting my time more independently.

Yesterday, I attended my first outreach event at a Summer Lunch program. Throughout the Summer, I will begin to lead volunteers during these events, which consist of playing games with kids and teaching them about good oral health habits. I had conflicting emotions during the visit; part of me loved interacting with the kids and teaching them proper brushing techniques on Aly the Alligator (pictured below with Douglas the Dog!). They seemed so excited to be talking to us, and their parents seemed grateful. However, I also knew that these kids and their families were in tough situations; one little girl talked about living in the homeless shelter, and some of these kids get their primary meals through programs like these. It will be important going forward for me to not get discouraged and instead use these feelings to work to alleviate the issues that families like these face.

This first week was full of exciting new experiences and knowledge. I look forward to learning more about non-profit work through both my fellowship site and The Columbus Foundation throughout the rest of the Summer!