Outreach

Serving the Auburn Family. Responding to community needs. Prioritizing health. Supporting Alabama and beyond.

About The Program

At Auburn University College of Nursing, outreach is more than just a listing of activities—it’s a strategic commitment to advancing health, education, and well-being in our community and beyond. Anchored in our mission to prepare compassionate, skilled nurses and to foster partnerships that improve health outcomes, our outreach efforts reflect the heart and purpose of AUCON.

Community Impact

Camps and Youth Initiatives

We invite high school and early college students into our world of nursing and healthcare through immersive programs. For example, our summer “Nursing Camp” allows rising 11th- and 12th-graders, as well as incoming freshmen, to participate in lab and simulation experiences that bring specialties such as emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and home health to life.

A Three-Fold Purpose

Promoting health and wellness in the communities we serve by delivering education, screenings, and patient‐centred care in accessible formats.
Preparing future nurses who are socially responsive and practice with cultural competence, through real-world experiences and community engagement.
Strengthening institutional and community partnerships—linking the College, students, faculty, and community organizations in collaborative work that extends AUCON's impact beyond the traditional classroom.

Outreach programming is integral to the College’s mission to advance health and healthcare for all through excellence in teaching, practice, research, and service.

We invite you to explore our outreach initiatives, learn how you can participate or partner with us, and discover how Auburn Nursing is making a difference—one community, one student, one life at a time.

Schools Initiatives

Family Health

Camps

Interprofessional

School Initiatives

A school-based health and wellness initiative utilizes an evidence-based curriculum and focuses on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and respiratory health. Auburn University College of Nursing undergraduate and graduate students alongside health-related disciplines and faculty have designed 13 weeks of content in a modular format. TigerCHAT™ programs are currently a partnership between academia, community, and school systems in Alex City, Chambers County, Tallapoosa County, and Madison County. Topics include:

Module 1: Nutrition and activity- PREVENTING DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, AND OBESITY (4 weeks)
Module 2: Breathing Strong- PREVENTING INFECTIONS AND ASTHMA/ALLERGY EXACERBATIONS (4 weeks)
Module 3: Mental health- IDENTIFYING AND PREVENTING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. Undergraduate and graduate nursing students are an integral part of the education delivery to school children (5 weeks)

Project Director: Linda Gibson-Young (gibsolm@auburn.edu), 334-844-5601

TigerCheck™- Auburn University College of Nursing partners with Bullock and Macon County K-12 schools for this outreach activity. During this activity, undergraduate nursing students provide an in-school basic screening that includes assessment of height, weight, blood pressure, respirations, heart rate, heart and lung sounds, and inspection of eyes, ears, nose, and throat. Scoliosis screening for middle school students (6th – 9th), depending on school, is also part of the assessment. Data obtained during these screenings are entered into an electronic database and shared with the school nurse at the individual schools. Individual student health data is then shared with the parents and recommendations for any follow-up with health care providers is provided.

Project Director: Kelly Strickland (Kps0010@auburn.edu)

Family Health

PAWS on the Plains allows Auburn’s nursing students to learn about animal-assisted therapy through classroom teaching and hands-on clinical experiences. Students experience how animal-assisted therapy can benefit the lives of children with chronic illnesses, adults in nursing homes and medical centers, and individuals diagnosed with mental health issues.

PAWS on the Plains is active on the Auburn University campus including its health clinic, in the Auburn/Opelika community, and East Alabama Health. Please contact the program director for additional information and scheduling!

Project Director: Morgan Yordy (bmy0004@auburn.edu)

Auburn University College of Nursing offers a Perinatal Educations Series, “Education on mom and baby as they grow together.”

Class 1: Pregnancy to birth – helping mothers and support persons better understand pregnancy, labor, and birth.
Class 2: Birth to one year – keeping mom and baby healthy.

2023 Dates: January 28, April 22, & August 27

9:00am-1:00pm CST

Class 1 and Class 2 offered on each date.

Free program. Lunch and childcare will be provided to all participants.

Click the link to register https://aub.ie/perinatal

Project Director: Kelley Noll (kelleynoll@auburn.edu)

SOUND (Sensory Outreach Under Nursing Direction) is named after the Auburn University Creed: I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body, and a spirit that is not afraid. SOUND began in early 2023 as a program to increase family participation in community events by focusing support for families with persons who experience sensory and emotional regulation challenges.

Through the support of KultureCity and the Merrill Stewart family, SOUND can also provide a mobile sensory room, formally called an SAV (Sensory Activation Vehicle). Additionally, SOUND offers multiple resources in permanent (Neville Arena) and mobile spaces (SAV) including sensory items (e.g., fidget toys, weighted vests, noise-reducing earmuffs, etc.), quiet spaces, and volunteers trained to handle emotional and sensory dysregulation to broaden the inclusivity of large community experiences.

Please contact us at the email address below to request SOUND come to your community event or to see where we are currently providing resources!

SOUND is partially funded by the Children's Trust Fund through the Alabama Department of Child Abuse, Neglect, and Prevention. https://ctf.alabama.gov

Contact: ausound@auburn.edu

Director: Dr. Morgan Yordy (bmy0004@auburn.edu)

Associate Directors: Dr. Ann Lambert (awl0011@auburn.edu) & Seth Perry (shp0006@auburn.edu)

Safe Sleep Outreach and Education develops partnerships between AUSON and numerous community and health organizations to promote infant health. Nursing students and faculty share safe sleep messages with various groups such as child development center staff, nurses in rural delivering hospitals, military groups, grand parenting groups, medical clinics, and local health departments.

Safe sleep sessions utilize evidence-based materials produced by the by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Participants are taught ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Sessions are available upon request as scheduling allows Nursing students gain experience providing education to individuals and groups, assist with data collection, and build trusting relationships with community members.

Project Director: Ann Lambert (awl0011@auburn.edu)

Mission: SOUND, as an Auburn University College of Nursing outreach program, serves Auburn/Opelika and its surrounding communities to provide and promote sensory-safe spaces.

Vision: To work alongside its community to create a more inclusive community for those living with sensory regulation challenges and their families.

Goal 1: Provide and promote sensory-safe spaces at Auburn/Opelika (and surrounding) community events, programs, and institutions.

Goal 2: Provide and promote education and training for community members who are working with or have a relationship with those living with sensory processing challenges.

Goal 3: Work alongside the Auburn University College of Nursing curriculum to provide opportunities and education for nursing students, increasing the likelihood of positive future patient outcomes.

An outreach program provided by Auburn University College of Nursing to provide a clean, comfortable, and private area for mothers to breastfeed at community athletic and recreational events.

Moms can breastfeed, bottle-feed, change diapers in this location. Sibling activities include face painting, coloring, etc. A certified lactation consultant is onsite to answer any questions.

Research shows that mothers with community and family support are more likely to continue breastfeeding for longer duration.

Facebook: Tiger Babies Breastfeeding Support Tent

Project Director: Ann Lambert (awl0011@auburn.edu)

Camps

Asthma Camp Eagle (ACE) is held at the beautiful Children's Harbor on Lake Martin. This free camp is for children ages 7 to 12 years living with asthma and is supported by several community partners. ACE is designed to empower and equip campers to control their asthma.

ACE offers SO MANY fun activities including swimming, canoeing, arts & crafts, games & sports, and fishing. ACE provides campers with several opportunities to learn about asthma, as well as other topics important to childhood development.

ACE partners with other AU majors, including nutrition, child life, and social work, and is a part of the nursing specialty topic course, NURS 4120 Health Science Camp Experience.

ACE is always looking for passionate counselors. Everyone is welcome! Camp volunteers say that this is a valuable active learning experience, providing interaction with school-aged children living with asthma. If you are interested in attending as a camper or volunteering as a counselor, please email the camp directors listed below.

The Outlook (Alex City) Article: https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2018/07/26/asthma-camp-eagle-lands-at-childrens-harbor/

Camp Directors

Linda Gibson-Young: gibsolm@auburn.edu

Seth Perry: shp0006@auburn.edu

This is a collaboration between VCOM-Auburn, nursing, pharmacy, nutrition, social work, and audiology from Auburn University, and the regional AHEC organization. The camp will include high school students and be facilitated by Auburn University Youth Programs. It will provide opportunities for participants to learn about teamwork as well as the roles and responsibilities of members of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers.

Project Director: Sarah Watts (sow0002@auburn.edu)

Nursing Camp, facilitated by Auburn University College of Nursing (AUSON) and Auburn Youth Programs (AYP), is an engaging one-week summer program available for high school students interested in careers in nursing. Camp participants “learn by doing” and practice technical skills as they rotate through interactive learning stations led by undergraduate nursing students in the school’s labs and simulation center. Faculty use case studies and simulation scenarios to bring healthcare specializations like emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and home health to life as the teens provide care for simulated patients throughout the week. The week includes team competitions, learning opportunities with community healthcare professionals, and discussion of educational pathways to nursing.

Project Director: Kendall Henderson (kaw0019@auburn.edu)

Interprofessional

The clinic is operated by a clinical advisory board, which includes faculty and staff from VCOM, nursing, pharmacy, nutrition, and social work from Auburn University. Services include health prevention and screenings, as well as primary care. A satellite pharmacy will be located in the clinic to provide access to affordable medications for the patients served at the clinic. The primary target population for the clinic are those living in the areas surrounding the Boykin Center and individuals without access to adequate healthcare.

Clinic Hours of Operation:

Monday: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 1 - 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Wednesday: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 1 - 5 p.m.

Project Director: Jean Dubois (duboiej@auburn.edu)

University Outreach and Alabama Cooperative Extension System are addressing significant health disparities across rural Alabama in partnership with the Colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, Human Sciences, Education and the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences program.

Auburn University team members have worked closely with community leaders and community members in Chambers, Greene, Hale, Sumter, and Wilcox Counties to develop health programming that meets each community’s unique needs. The University of West Alabama serves as a significant partner in this work by providing internet services, logistical support, and health services support in our west Alabama locations.

Each of these communities is provided with healthcare at no cost to patients through OnMed®, an accessible and innovative healthcare option. The CareStation provides users with a private, and efficient health care experience at no cost to patients by facilitating a real-time patient encounter with an Alabama licensed clinician in a virtual setting using diagnostic tools available for practitioner-guided self-use.