HALETHORPE, MD — As life gets busy many people forget about the importance of self-care. Now the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is putting self-care at the forefront, or in the 'storefront', for students.
UMMS opened its new learning storefront at Junior Achievement of Central Maryland's JA Finance Park in their Youth Workforce and Innovation Center located in Halethorpe.
It's aimed at highlighting the importance of wellness and self-care to middle and high school students and shows them how self-care impacts all aspects of life.
“Our storefront illustrates the importance of investing in self-care and why this should be an area of focus for students now as young people and later as adults,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, the System’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “As an anchor institution dedicated to improving the health and wellness of Marylanders across the state, we know that our efforts must extend beyond the doors of our hospitals.”
The UMMS storefront includes self-care tips like the importance of taking time to do things to help your physical and mental health, as well as how to manage stress.
While in the learning storefront students can also see the various opportunities within the health profession, beyond doctors and nurses.
“The goal of the JA Finance Park program is to expose students to the alignment between financial capability and the world of work while at the same time building confidence and interpersonal skills,” said Paul Kappel, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. “Students that participate in Junior Achievement, with partners such as the University of Maryland Medical System, see themselves as future leaders in a way they may not have experienced before. The new UMMS storefront shows the intersection of personal and financial wellness in a way that students may not have been able to explore. Almost 10,000 students a year will be able to participate in this opportunity and we couldn’t do it without partners like UMMS.”
The UMMS partnership with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland also provides engagement opportunities like volunteer programs and mentor activities, job shadowing, and networking events.