Promotion of healthy child and youth development

Experiences of a school extension project

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood and adolescence are periods of intense development and growth, which deserve constant vigilance. Despite the importance of healthy development, this is not always ensured, in view of a series of problems in the country. Objective: To report the experience of medical students participating in an extension project at a municipal school in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Experience report: Descriptive study, of the experience report type, of an extension project developed in a municipal school in a region of high social vulnerability, in Belo Horizonte. The project participants were children from 3 to 13 years old. The activities were carried out in the form of workshops, whose themes were: Hygiene and Self-Care, Oral Health, Emotions, Accident Prevention and Sex Education. During the five workshops held, the children were receptive, involved and interested in most of the dynamics. Throughout the project, the activities were elaborated according to the evaluation of the extensionists on the development of interventions. Final considerations: The university extension demonstrates that health education is an effective tool in promoting changes in the health of children and adolescents in vulnerable regions.