Advocacy
Our Advocacy Rotation is a longitudinal experience that helps residents develop the skills needed to be compassionate, community鈥慶entered pediatric advocates. The rotation blends structured learning, hands鈥憃n community engagement, and opportunities to lead projects that make a meaningful impact on children and families.
Longitudinal Advocacy Rotation听
The Advocacy Rotation for interns includes three main components.
Advocacy Curriculum
The curriculum is divided into capsules, with each four鈥憌eek block devoted to a specific topic. Many of these capsules are taught in-person, while others are offered virtually and include slide presentations and articles. Relevant board鈥憇tyle questions are also incorporated into the curriculum.
Curriculum topics include:
- Orientation to Advocacy and Pediatric Advocates
- Windshield Survey and Community Asset Mapping
- Poverty
- Food Insecurity
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic Trauma
- Literacy and Reach Out and Read
- Oral Health
- Gun Violence
- Foster and Kinship Care
- Vaccines
- Immigrant Health
- Obesity and Advocacy for Healthy Lifestyles
CPTI (Community Pediatrics Training Initiative) Project
Each intern selects an advocacy project that aligns with their interests and completes it over the course of the rotation. Projects are presented at Grand Rounds. Examples of past projects include assembling domestic violence resources for families, creating QR codes that link patients to transportation, hygiene, and food services, and designing the Big Buddies program, an antibullying curriculum for high school students.
Community Site Visits
Interns spend half of the year learning from a representative of ABLE Law, an organization that provides free medico鈥憀egal support for families. The remaining half is dedicated to visiting local community agencies, which have included Good Grief, Social Services, Care Management, and Administration, with additional sites incorporated as new partnerships develop.
Community Involvement
All residents participate in community service throughout the year. These activities provide opportunities to support families directly and strengthen community partnerships. Efforts have included preparing food bags for local distribution programs and assisting at back鈥憈o鈥憇chool events by providing well鈥慶hild checks and dental varnish.
Advocacy Day
Each December, our residency program organizes a local community service day. After attending an educational lecture on advocacy, program leadership and residents spend the afternoon volunteering at a designated site. In previous years, we have volunteered at organizations such as The Salvation Army (sorting toys for children), Cherry Street Mission (organizing donations for unhoused families), and the Islamic Food Bank (packaging food bags for families in need).
Advanced Advocacy Pathway (PGY鈥�2 and PGY鈥�3)
Residents in their second and third years may choose to join the Advanced Advocacy Pathway, which offers expanded opportunities for leadership and project development.听
Participants in this pathway mentor interns as they carry out CPTI projects, engage in in鈥憄erson advocacy events, and continue contributing to initiatives they have previously helped develop. For example, residents who helped develop the Big Buddies program stay engaged by teaching incoming residents how to present the curriculum.
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Jennifer DeLucia, M.D.
Director of Pediatric Advocacy Program
Yetunde Badmus, M.D.
Carolani Day, M.A.
2109 Hughes Drive, Jobst Tower 3rd Floor
419-291-0038
Carolani.Day@utoledo.edu听