Community Partner: STAR TRACK Intern: Navya Ravoori Site Supervisor: Gabrielle Mnkande
What is STAR TRACK? The STAR TRACK Program ' s mission is to provide leadership in Maryland on adolescent HIV health issues by providing comprehensive, interdisciplinary, individualized, and confidential health care to HIV infected and at risk adolescents and young adults. We also provide youth-friendly health education, prevention, and early identification services to HIV infected and at risk adolescents, young adults, and their communities.
" I have learned a lot during my time at STAR TRACK. My favorite thing about working with STAR TRACK is there is so much to learn while serving the community but also from other staff. At our midpoint speaker event this year, Dr. Leaf asked the room how many placements were black run organizations. I immediately expected the entire room to raise their hands because I wouldn’ t see why Abby wouldn’ t support black run community partners in Baltimore. After only five or so interns raised their hands, I was extremely surprised. The leadership in the non-profit community in Baltimore is still predominantly white considering access to resources and information in the city. I have been extremely lucky to work with an organization that is not only with predominantly black individuals, but they are also mainly LGBTQ folks. To be with an organization that is staffed by the people they serve is such a novel concept even though theoretically it is what everyone supports. I have had many moments in which I have been aware of my own privilege and mindful of the space I take up within Star Track. I have spent so much of the summer learning about the amazing work of Star Track and about the community that it serves that I don’ t see work with LGBTQ as a lens to my work but as a natural part of work in public health. Sometimes, while working in a community you are not necessarily a part of, it may be hard to be mindful of space and sometimes you can be too mindful of space. I think I fell into the latter but while working with my supervisor, I have learned to be more mindful of it. Star Track and my supervisor, Gabrielle, have played an amazing role in my own understanding of Baltimore City and in my own role as an intern. Since Star Track does a huge variety of work inside and outside the clinic, I have also provided in a great variety of tasks. Whether it be health communication, health education, non-medical case management services, intake within the clinic and so much more, I have learned a lot in everything I did!"-Navya
• Assist with programming, intake and other activities within the clinic, including, organizing Sitcom Wednesdays.
• Help create promotional materials both in health education and on social media through the Instagram account.
• Work with my supervisor to understand the needs of the community and implement / carry out various events and programs to help address needs.
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