November 7-11, 2005, is HOSA Week!   Plan your chapter activities in the areas of  school and community service, opportunities in health care, and appreciation to the health care community.   After HOSA Week, submit your chapter’s activities to National HOSA by May 15, 2006, to receive national recognition for your efforts.

See the HOSA Week guidelines at http://www.hosa.org/natorg/sectb/cat-v/hw.pdf

School or Community Service

Volunteer hours in the school or community that provide a service.                        

School	Activity
Judson Senior, TX	Handwashing – Two classes of 4 th graders watched a movie about everyday germs and learned how to wash hands correctly.   HOSA members gave each child a solution that allowed them to see the many germs on their hands under the Glo-Germ light.   Students practiced handwashing and were evaluated by HOSA members.   Finally, each 4 th grader was given a glove and antibacterial wipes to disinfect their desks.
Perry County, MS	Blood Pressure Screenings – HOSA members performed blood pressure screenings on senior citizens and Salvation Army Volunteers at the local senior center.
Alamance County, NC	Food for the Homeless – HOSA members cooked and served 117 meals to the homeless at the Good Shepherd Kitchen. They also worked in the food pantry area - stocking, sorting canned foods, and checking expiration dates.
Peter J. Kirksey Career Center, AL	Health Information Booth – HOSA members manned a booth at Edgar’s Foodland with information about breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.   From 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., fliers, pamphlets, and ribbons were provided to the public with facts, warning signs and prevention of these diseases.   Donations were accepted to divide equally among the three sponsoring agencies.
Westview High School, TN	Teacher Appreciation - HOSA members made each teacher a special sign with a note of appreciation and a health quote.   We also included a candy bar with each sign, and placed the signs in each teacher’s mailbox.
Warren Harding High School, CT	Mini Lesson on AIDS – Joel Oramas, chapter president, made a presentation about AIDS to sophomore students.   Students learned how the human immunodeficiency virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome are connected.   Joel cleared several misconceptions about AIDS and HIV.
Carter County, KY	Raking Leaves – HOSA members raked leaves at four elderly homebound individual’s homes.   At the end of the day, faculty members helped pick up the bags so that the elderly people would not have to worry about leaf disposal.    We raked approximately 150 bags of leaves all day.

Opportunities in Health Care

Activities that promote career opportunities in health care, such as a career fair, healthcare speakers, talking to community/school groups about health careers, posters promoting health careers and HOSA, etc.

School	Activity
Quitman High School, AR	Career Displays – Each HOSA member created a career health display on the health career of their choice.   The projects were set up in the school’s cafeteria on stage for viewing.   Viewers voted on the most attractive display.
Cooper High School, TX	Health Careers Presentation – HOSA members visited two middle schools to inform 8 th graders about health careers and how to choose high school courses in HST and HOSA as a path to a future in a health care field.
Perry County, MS	Presentation – HOSA members gave presentations to each of the Career Discovery classes at the four Junior High Schools in the county.   Each presentation included information about HOSA, heath careers, Allied Health classes, and how they relate to one another.
Southern Alamance, NC	Posters and Announcements – HOSA members made posters promoting HOSA and health careers, then put up the posters around the school.   HOSA members also wrote announcements to be given over the school’s intercom system about various health professions.
Judson High School, TX	Guest Speaker – HOSA members listened to a presentation from the AIDS Foundation about the effects of AIDS, as well as the healthcare required to treat AIDS patients.
McNeil High School, TX	Speaker Panel – Three guest speakers talked to HOSA members.   The speakers included a Dental Hygienist, a school crisis counselor, and a HOT Jobs Representative, who provided the latest statistics about various health careers.
South View High School, NC	School Activities – HOSA members set up a school display with videos and books describing careers in the health care field.   On “Check Your Heart Day”, HOSA members taught students how to check their radial pulse.   Students donated 25 cents to listen to their heart beat with a stethoscope.
Land O’Lakes High School, FL	Bulletin Board – HOSA members made a career cluster bulletin board for students to learn about health careers.

Appreciation to the Health Care Community

An appreciation activity sponsored by the HOSA chapter that shows gratitude to members of the local healthcare community. Activities can include thank you notes, an appreciation function, the partnership appreciation model in these guidelines, etc.

School	Activity
Topsail High School, NC	Owner of Geriatric Care Facility – To thank the owner of Woodbury Wellness for her support of HOSA and the Health Science program, HOSA members presented a certificate and thank you letters to Joan Hancock.
Peter J. Kirksey Career Center, AL	Cards and a Plaque – HOSA members designed thank you cards and delivered them to all Health Science Advisory Council members, local health care providers in the nursing home, hospital, health department and ambulance service employees.   A plaque was presented to Greene County Hospital/Nursing Home in appreciation and gratitude for their partnership over the years.
Quitman High School, AR	Reception - HOSA members hosted an appreciation reception for Baptist Health Medical Center employees. Cake, punch and cookies were served.   An appreciation plaque and student Album of Letters was presented to the staff.   Door prizes were awarded.
Forbush High School, NC	Letters and a Basket – HOSA members wrote letters of appreciation to employees of Willowbrooke Health Care, praising the workers for the services provided to members of the community.   HOSA officers assembled the letters into a binder and delivered the letters and a “goody basket” to the staff.
Judson Senior, TX	Retirement Lodge - HOSA members made goodie bags with food and candy in them for the staff of Autumn Winds Retirement Lodge.   Each bag was decorated in honor of HOSA week, and thanked the health care workers for doing a marvelous job taking care of the residents that live at Autumn Winds.