Not Your Average High School

Located on the North side of Chicago, Lincoln Square is a middle class neighborhood that is predominantly Caucasian and Asian. Surprisingly, the students of Amundsen High School, a Chicago Public School institution in this area, do not reflect the demographics of the surrounding community. According to 2012 data, 91% of Amundsen students are nonwhite, and 65% are Hispanic. Amundsen also has a large population of students from families who have recently immigrated to the United States or have arrived as refugees from European and Middle Eastern countries. In addition, over 80% of Amundsen students come from low income families. Many of these students reside in Chicago's West or South Sides and are drawn to Amundsen for its International Baccalaureate program, athletics and other extracurricular opportunities, as well as the relative safety of the surrounding neighborhood. Amundsen offers its students a rich high school experience with many opportunities to learn about different cultures.

Amundsen's special student population creates unique challenges for me as a Health Educator and the rest of the staff at the Erie Family Health Center based in the school. 13% of students have limited English proficiency, so providers are challenged to provide the necessary health information to students and their families in their preferred language. Consent forms for Erie services, as well as vision and dental vans that visit the school, are offered in Spanish, and many staff members can speak Spanish to guardians over the phone or in person. So far, my Spanish speaking ability has been stretched to its limits, so I hope that more practice and exposure to the language will help me communicate better with patients and their families over my term of service.

The Health Center provides Amundsen students with services such as school and sports physicals, STI testing and treatment, contraceptives, counseling, vaccinations, nutrition counseling, and much more. Amazingly, Erie offers these services regardless of a patient's insurance status. For me, it is an honor to be able to serve youth through an organization that reaches some of the most underserved populations in Chicago, and I hope I can help improve the health outcomes of students through education and counseling over my service term.

This post was written by CHC member Jenny Hill. 

Jenny serves as a Health Educator at Erie Family Health Center- Amundsen.