Annual Community IMPACT Day scheduled for September 6th; faculty and staff urged to sign up to lead teams of students

For seniors living at the Robert A. Georgine Towers on Ferrin Street, Community IMPACT Day represents a unique opportunity to make friends with a group of young, lively volunteers. Whether these visitors come to the elder housing center in Charlestown to make blankets or play bingo, the influx from the MGH Institute brightens these seniors’ days while offering students and seniors an opportunity for intergenerational social connection. 

“It brings the community together, and the seniors ask questions and engage with the students,” said Ferrin Street staff member Paul Sullivan. “Our site requires the assistance of non-profits and volunteers to survive, and the MGH Institute is at the top of the list to keep us going and vibrant.” 

Ferrin Street is one of more than 300 local organizations that has received assistance from the MGH Institute on Community IMPACT Day, an annual service-learning program that challenges IHP first-year students to give back to Boston while developing interprofessional skills. On September 6, the IHP will hold its 13th Community IMPACT Day; staff and faculty are encouraged to sign up now to lead teams of students as they volunteer at organizations across the city. 

“The most common response we hear from these organizations is, ‘When are the students coming back?’” said Midge Hobbs, the assistant dean for interprofessional education who organizes IMPACT Day with a dedicated team of staff and faculty. “They love the energy the students bring. Although students are benefiting from this experience, it’s the people at the site who really benefit the most.” 

Hobbs has an enthusiastic team organizing the myriad logistics of Community IMPACT Day: Director of Academic Operations Heather Easter; Executive Assistant and Project Specialist Ellen Foley; Project Manager for Academic Affairs Lauren Talbourdet; Operations Manager Yolanda Mendez Rainey; IMPACT Peer Facilitator Lead Rachel Rubin; Assistant Professor Jane Baldwin; and Director of Community Engagement Pat Reidy. 

Since 2011, the annual Community IMPACT Day has been a designated time for first-year students to collaborate with classmates from other academic departments and volunteer in the city, embedded into a full day of interprofessional learning activities and assignments. Dubbed an “interprofessional bootcamp” by Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Peter Cahn, this day of service helps students practice partnering with other healthcare workers to achieve a common goal.  

“As health professionals, we want to make a difference. This is such a great way for students to begin their training — not just talking about service as something that's going to happen down the road, but really getting out there and doing it,” Hobbs said. 

More than 4,800 IHP students have participated in the program in the last 13 years, volunteering at 360 local organizations including St. John’s Episcopal Church, where IHP students have helped assemble community mailings and maintained the church garden.  

“We love the opportunity to connect, and the experience was fabulous,” said Priscilla Burns, the parish administrator. “The collaboration began earlier as a stewardship drive — folding, stamping, and sealing correspondence. It forces our organization to complete a project that needs to be done. Then we advanced to outdoor gardening, and now the students do both. Everyone was happy to help and delightful; the students not only served the community and interacted with each other, but also brought energy and joy.” 

The IHP’s Navy Yard neighbor, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, also receives students on IMPACT Day. This year, volunteers will organize and maintain rehabilitation equipment.  

“The students were fantastic, thorough, and efficient,” said Spaulding’s Trina Modoono. “They scrubbed down and organized equipment, which is a huge help. The activity benefited the patients by having equipment that looks more presentable and usable. Aesthetics and maintenance also help the clinicians to grab and use, but mostly it’s the patients who benefit.” 

This September, more than 500 participating students, faculty, and staff will split up into 64 interprofessional teams and spend two hours volunteering at dozens of charitable organizations, sorting through clothing donations, weeding community gardens, and performing other tasks that organizations might not otherwise have time to complete. Faculty members will discuss the importance of communication, collaboration, and teamwork with students as they travel to and from volunteer sites, but it’s up to students to work together to complete their volunteer assignments. 

In its early years, Community IMPACT Day was over as soon as students finished volunteering, but Hobbs found that setting aside time to identify connections between service and the IHP curriculum helped students see the value of working in teams. 

“We're not just theoretically talking about helping people, we're actually doing it right from the word ‘go,’ and that learning experience helps students understand the meaning and value behind interprofessional practice,” Hobbs said. 

Bringing together students from different academic disciplines like physical therapy, genetic counseling, audiology, and nursing also enables students to make friends across the IHP. 

“Everybody should do it at some point,” she said, encouraging interested staff and faculty to contact her about getting involved. “Regardless of your role, it's a blast to get involved, and it's really rewarding.” 

If you’re interested in signing up to lead a team, fill out the Form Stack below .  

https://MGHIHP.formstack.com/forms/volunteer_for_community_impact_day_9_6_24 

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