Samantha Maurer, a student of medicine at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, proposes to create a health and wellness education series for children in foster care at Lydia Home. She hopes to empower the children with knowledge about their bodies to help them make positive choices about nutrition, exercise, and wellness overall.

Samantha seeks to raise $1,000 total for supplies to fund activities tied to the topics discussed about the human body, field trips, and supplies for cooking/baking activities tied to our nutrition sessions. 

Founded in 1996, Health & Medicine’s Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program cultivates aspiring health and human services professionals to be informed, concerned, and involved with addressing health inequities. Each year, the Schweitzer Program provides 30 exceptional students with opportunities to design and implement projects to improve the health and well-being of underserved Chicago communities. Fellows’ projects often address the social determinants of health, and their activities frequently include tutoring, violence prevention, health education, healthy lifestyles promotion, and outreach to vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Through their community projects and participation in a year-long program that includes mentoring support, monthly meetings, written reflection, and interprofessional collaboration, Schweitzer Fellows develop the skills and confidence needed to become Leaders in Service—professionals who will remain dedicated to public service and creating change.

Each of the Fellows has created a wish list of supplies and resources that will help them bring their project goals to life. Please consider supporting a specific Fellow project or donating to the general Schweitzer project fund.

The Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program is a program of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. Your Fellows Fest donation will appear on your credit card statement as "Health & Medicine."