- 303 Haggar College Center
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579 - Director of Media Relations
Gwen O'Brien
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
Students Host Forum on Issues Facing Latinos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Social Work Students to Host Community Forum on Issues Facing Latino Population
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Ind.
(574) 284-4579
February 10, 2010 (Notre Dame, Ind.)- Students in social work professor Frances Kominkiewicz’s “Human Behavior and the Social Environment II” class will host an annual community forum at the College on Monday, March 1. This year’s event is titled “Family H.E.L.P. Community Forum: Health and Education for the Latino Population.” The forum will be a dialogue with Aida McCammon, MSW, Co-Founder & President/ CEO of the Indiana Latino Institute. The forum will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in Carroll Auditorium, Madeleva Hall. The South Bend-area community is encouraged to attend this free event. Guests will have an opportunity to ask McCammon questions. Translators will be present.
The forum is a collaborative effort funded by the Lilly Endowment’s Initiative to promote opportunities through educational collaborations and is co-sponsored by the Cross Currents Program and College’s social work department.
“We are so grateful to have Ms. McCammon come to Saint Mary's College to speak about some of the health and education challenges facing Indiana’s Latino population. We hope members of South Bend’s Hispanic community and others will come to campus to hear her insights,“ Kominkiewicz said.
Every year students in Kominkiewicz’s class plan and prepare the social work forum by discussing current issues, coming up with a topic for the event and finding a speaker(s). Beyond planning for this event, each student is involved in fifteen hours of experiential learning and many have chosen to participate at Our Lady of Hungary School. Other students assist at the Catholic Worker House, Hannah’s House, Brown Intermediate School, and the Charles Martin Youth Center.
Aida McCammon is the co-founder and president/CEO of the Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. in Indianapolis, Ind. and the founder and former director of Hispanic Health Project, Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis.
After receiving a master’s degree in social work from Indiana University, McCammon founded the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) with a mission statement that the institute “provides advocacy, leadership and collaboration addressing evolving issues and essential needs that affect Latino communities.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named ILI the lead agency for the National Latino Tobacco Control Network. Along with this accomplishment, McCammon founded the Hispanic Health Project. In addition to her professional accomplishments, McCammon participates on boards for issues relevant to her social work beliefs and passion such as the Alliance for Health Promotions and the Central Indiana Council on Aging (CICOA) as well as serving on committees such as the Indiana Coalition for a Smokefree Air (ICSA).
The social work program is one of Saint Mary’s six nationally accredited academic programs.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
