What is community health and how can aspiring future leaders act individually and collectively to help our vulnerable neighbors and strengthen community health?
Through focused effort and action, Horseshoe Farm has tackled these questions since our founding in 2007.
In 2009 we created an educational grant supported Community Health Gap Year Fellowship for top recent college graduates from across the country. We subsequently added Internships for undergraduate and health professions students.
Working as teams and with ongoing teaching and mentorship, Fellows and Interns participate in and learn from all aspects our pioneering multidimensional integrated approach to community health. They volunteer in our signature “health partners” program to support seniors, adults living with mental illness, and other vulnerable or isolated individuals. They volunteer in top notch after school programs and with local schools to help small groups of students. They help develop and lead programs at local community centers and volunteer with local supported housing programs and nursing homes. They live and learn in one of our three wonderful partner communities (Greensboro, AL, Perry County, AL, and Pomona, CA) while participating in Horseshoe Farm's time-tested approach to helping our vulnerable neighbors and improving community health.
These efforts all contribute to Horseshoe Farm’s steadfast mission of working with and building on the strengths of local communities, improving the health and quality of life of our vulnerable neighbors, and preparing community health and citizen service leaders for tomorrow’s communities. Please join us.
Fellow Outcomes:
Geared to our nation’s most promising premed, public health, and future community health leaders, Horseshoe Farm graduates go on to some of the top programs in the nation including:
Sampling of Medical Schools: Stanford, UCLA, UCSF, UC Davis, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Columbia, Yale, Vanderbilt, University of North Carolina, Cleveland Clinic, University of Washington, Rush, Georgetown, University of Alabama Birmingham, Tufts, Jefferson, and many others.
Sampling of Public Health, Nursing, Social Work, and Psychology Programs: Emory School of Public Health, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Cleveland Clinic School of Public Health, Columbia University School of Public Health, Emory University School Nursing, Cleveland Clinic School of Social Work, University of Alabama School of Psychology.
Many Horseshoe Farm graduates have received some of the most competitive awards and scholarships at their respective institutions and numerous Horseshoe Farm graduates have received full merit based academic scholarships to the graduate or medical schools they have chosen to attend.
Fellows are taking leadership roles in Academic Medicine, Community Health, Public Health, Public Policy, Health Administration, Education and Teaching, and other fields.
Selected Awards/Recognition for Project Horseshoe Farm:
Project Horseshoe Farm awarded the “Lou Wooster Public Health Hero Award” by the University of Alabama, Birmingham School of Public Health, 2020.
Project Horseshoe Farm selected as “Exemplary Community Partnership” by Auburn University Carnegie Community Engagement Initiative, 2019.
Project Horseshoe Farm spotlighted in Appalachian Regional Commission/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report, “Creating a Culture of Health in Appalachia,” (https://healthinappalachia.org/bright-spots/case-studies/hale-county-al/), 2018.
Project Horseshoe Farm selected as “Outstanding Community Partner Initiated Engagement Effort,” by the University of Alabama Center for Community Based Partnerships, 2014.