Report of ECU-Tillery Learn and Serve Project
June 1999-June 2003

The Tillery Learn and Serve Project consists of interdisciplinary involvement from a diverse group of programs at ECU.

Health Education students are involved in Cancer awareness programs and in services to enhance the health of Tillery residents. This has included a baseball clinic, special events, and health screenings.

Students from the ECU Occupational Therapy Department continue with a quality of life study using qualitative research methodologies. This study allows students to better understand the inter-relationship of poverty, race, illness and geographic isolation on quality of life. Currently the OT students offer a weekly Wellness Group for community dwelling elders. The program is based on data collected during a weekend immersion experience where the students stay in homes of Tillery residents.

In the past a medical clinic was held once a month in the "Curin' House". Dr. Emily Bray served as medical director and is to be commended for her ability to keep this clinic going at the level of excellence it has attained. The addition of limited pharmacy services by way of the University North Carolina, Chapel Hill's pharmacy program was a particular advantage to the program. The pharmacy services denote the intra-university collaboration that exists in many of our interdisciplinary programs, including the Interdisciplinary Rural Health Training Program.

This project relies on a strong Community-Campus partnership. A team of faculty at ECU met with members of the Tillery community in the Fall of 1999 to discuss needs and wishes for future funding. The OIHSE funding allowed for the part-time employment of the business manager of the former Learn and Serve project for the purpose of writing a new grant for Tillery. Members of the Community and Tillery's new Volunteer Fire Department were part of the discussion team for the writing of the new grant. The VFD will play a prominent role in future grant activities.

The interactions extend beyond the university; in May 1999 the Greenville Police donated 90000 cans of drinking water to the community. As a result of the September 1999 flooding, many of the wells in one particular area of Tillery were contaminated. In May, many families were still without potable water. This donation of water required the cooperation of a trucking company in Greenville, the citizens of Tillery, students from ECU and a faculty member.

The relationships have served as a recruitment tool for East Carolina University. Five students from Tillery currently attend ECU. Faculty have been helpful to these students (and their parents) over the year. These Tillery students are included into grant activities whenever possible.

The affiliations within the Community-Campus partnership continues to grow as more faculty and administrators from ECU are introduced to Tillery with the hope of future interdisciplinary collaborations. The Open Minded Seniors frequently host these faculty at luncheons throughout the year. An oral history of public school teaching was begun as a result of these luncheons. Faculty from recreation, dance, art, and music were introduced to the community.

The Tillery Learn and Serve Project enjoys celebrating the Community-Campus Partnership and building hope for greater collaborations in the future. In April of 2003 the Learn and Serve team with Tillery partners will present their experience at the Campus and Community Partnerships for Health conference in San Diego, CA.

  Last updated June 11, 2003