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Projects with Promise

Vol. 30 No. 1 (2026)

Promoting Health in the Hispanic Community: Evaluation of a Mentoring Program Between a School of Medicine and a Hispanic Community

  • Pallavi Kenkare
  • Elizabeth Seeley
  • Kimberly Anyadike
  • Mallory Peters
  • Helen Huetteman
  • Claudio Cortes
Submitted
October 28, 2024
Published
2026-04-08

Abstract

In 2016, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine collaborated with the Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan Hispanic La Casa Amiga Outreach program (CCSEM-LCA) to create a program through which medical students are paired to mentor local Hispanic youth from an underserved community. We assessed the program’s effect on mentees’ behavioral and social skills, evaluating satisfaction and program impact among mentees and their parents, and assessing the mentees’ knowledge retention from the program’s health education sessions. Using the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale, 2nd Edition (BERS-2) questionnaire before and after the program, we observed significant improvements in mentee interpersonal strength, family involvement, intrapersonal strength, school functioning, and affective strength. Additionally, both mentees (N = 45) and parents (N = 38) reported high levels of satisfaction, and pre- and postsession assessments indicated increased understanding of the health topics covered.