Marvell, Arkansas

For the past year, Lauren Gillooly has been a middle school teacher at Marvell High School in Marvell, Arkansas, with Teach For America*Mississippi Delta. Despite the town's rich agricultural history, the Delta region is one of the poorest in the nation. A Title I school, over 99% of the student body receives free breakfast and lunch, and over half of these students live below the national poverty line.  Although the students are the beneficiaries of annual government-funded check-ups, for various financial and social reasons outside of their, and often their parent's control, they lack the resources necessary to maintain their oral hygiene. As a result, many of the students suffer from extreme tooth decay. It is not uncommon for teachers to have to plead with the principal/nurse to get a student excused from school because they have been in a ton of pain from a toothache that has not been addressed. 

As a 7th and 8th grade science teacher, I have taken every opportunity possible to teach about oral health, interweaving "brushing basics" and "cavities 101"  into my lessons about bacteria, germs, and the human body systems. While students usually forget about the things I teach them in science, the lessons on oral health were not lost on my 7th and 8th graders who were excited to learn about the causes of their tooth pain, and showed up early the next day to report on their tooth-brushing homework: "Ms. G, I brushed my teeth for two whole minutes last night- man that was a long time! My gums even started to bleed!"
                                                                                                                                        -Ms. Lauren Gillooly

OHAN's generous donation of dental supplies and educational materials will help equip the newly-empowered 7th and 8th graders with the supplies and information they need to maintain their oral health, in between their annual dental checkups.

Over 300 supplies were donated.