Our Course & Mission
Our mission is to provide a transformative educational experience at the intersection of Gender & Women's Studies and Public Health. In collaboration with Kenyatta University, we aim to foster a global perspective on healthcare needs, access, and medical practice as our students explore social, scientific, and juridical influences on sexual and reproductive life. We commit to inspiring intellectual curiosity, cultural appreciation, and a lifelong dedication to advancing reproductive health and justice in diverse communities worldwide.
An Interdisciplinary View of Women’s Reproductive Health
This academic and experiential program will center on women’s reproductive health in Kenya. Students will gain a global perspective on reproductive health issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Some topics of exploration include maternal and child health, birthing experiences, gendered economic disparities, and the practice of medicine in urban and rural Kenya. Students will also be introduced to Kenyan culture via immersive experiences with local organizations and populations. The partnership with Kenyatta will give students the opportunity to explore the shaping of public knowledge about and advocacy for women’s health.
Course objectives include:
learning about public and private healthcare systems in Kenya;
developing a global perspective on reproductive health and access to care;
gaining first-hand knowledge on various determinants of maternal and child health outcomes;
understanding how traditional medicine and industrialized medicine entwine or become separated across communities;
connecting with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), healthcare workers, and community members in and around Nairobi; and
being immersed in various aspects of Kenyan life and culture to better understand the co-constitution of medical science and society.
Student Work & Responsibilities
Our students serve as the primary keepers of knowledge during our study abroad and as ambassadors for Hollins University and the United States in Kenya. As they learn and explore, they will keep journals and contribute to OUR TRAVELOG, generate a summative reflective essay, and share their experiences with the Hollins community in formal and informal settings, such as the annual Student Performance and Academic Research (SPARC) and Leading Equity, Diversity, and Justice Conferences. Our students will also share their ideas, writings, and photos for publication in Kenyatta University’s summer Tribune to highlight the new partnership. We are excited to offer this opportunity to our students not just as a means of assessing their analytical thinking, but also as a training for future public-facing scholarship and public speaking, health and policy research and development, and non-profit project design and management as global citizens.
To learn more about Hollins' commitment to career training, see the university's Career & Life Design page.