Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars
Encyclopedia
Known informally at the BJ scholars, this summer fellowship is sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The program brings talented African American
, Hispanic
/Latino
, American Indian
/Alaska Native, Asian
, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
college seniors and recent graduates to Washington, D.C., where they are placed in congressional offices and learn about health policy. Through the nine-week program, scholars gain knowledge about federal legislative procedure and health policy issues, while further developing their critical thinking and leadership skills. In addition to gaining experience in a congressional office, Scholars participate in seminars and site visits to augment their knowledge of health care issues, and write and present a health policy research memo.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation established the Barbara Jordan
Health Policy Scholars Program at Howard University
to honor the legacy of former Foundation Trustee and Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and to expand the pool of students of color interested in the field of health policy. As a member of the United States Congress
and the Texas State Legislature, Barbara Jordan
's distinguished career was exemplified by her tireless advocacy
of behalf of vulnerable populations. She brought this passion to her work, inspiring others to become involved in addressing challenging health policy issues.
In the event that a college or university will award credit(s) for participation in the program, Howard University will submit or facilitate the submission of all official documentation necessary to obtain such credit(s).
In addition to their placement in a congressional office, scholars are required to attend weekly site visits to organizations such as the Institute of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, etc. Scholars are also required to complete a policy memo and a group policy presentation as part of program. In the past, students have written policy memos about: The cost of prescription drugs, HIV/AIDS prevention, the uninsured, and racial/ethnic disparities in health care.
The goal of the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program is to facilitate the development of leadership and critical thinking skills in health policy by helping students to gain knowledge about the federal legislative process as it relates specifically to health and the health of underserved communities.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
/Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
, American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
/Alaska Native, Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
college seniors and recent graduates to Washington, D.C., where they are placed in congressional offices and learn about health policy. Through the nine-week program, scholars gain knowledge about federal legislative procedure and health policy issues, while further developing their critical thinking and leadership skills. In addition to gaining experience in a congressional office, Scholars participate in seminars and site visits to augment their knowledge of health care issues, and write and present a health policy research memo.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation established the Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives...
Health Policy Scholars Program at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
to honor the legacy of former Foundation Trustee and Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and to expand the pool of students of color interested in the field of health policy. As a member of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the Texas State Legislature, Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives...
's distinguished career was exemplified by her tireless advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
of behalf of vulnerable populations. She brought this passion to her work, inspiring others to become involved in addressing challenging health policy issues.
Program details
Scholars receive approximately $7,500 in support, which includes:- A stipend of $2,000 upon completion of the program
- A daily expense allowance for meals and local transportation
- Transportation/airfare to and from Washington, D.C.
- Lodging at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
In the event that a college or university will award credit(s) for participation in the program, Howard University will submit or facilitate the submission of all official documentation necessary to obtain such credit(s).
Core activities
The nine-week program starts with a week-long series of briefings on U.S. health policy issues in Washington, D.C. During the week, scholars meet with a wide range of health policy experts and hill staffers. Topics include health policy concerns such as HIV/AIDS, Medicaid, the uninsured, and Medicare. The group meets again in early June for a day of joint briefings on health issues with another program the Kaiser Foundation operates, the Kaiser Media Interns in Health Reporting. The scholars then spend eight-weeks working in a congressional office with major health policy responsibilities.In addition to their placement in a congressional office, scholars are required to attend weekly site visits to organizations such as the Institute of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, etc. Scholars are also required to complete a policy memo and a group policy presentation as part of program. In the past, students have written policy memos about: The cost of prescription drugs, HIV/AIDS prevention, the uninsured, and racial/ethnic disparities in health care.
The goal of the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program is to facilitate the development of leadership and critical thinking skills in health policy by helping students to gain knowledge about the federal legislative process as it relates specifically to health and the health of underserved communities.