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UKIC / Shoulder to Shoulder Global / Our Work / Health Brigades

Health Brigades

Given the current global COVID-19 pandemic, all brigade dates are tentative

For questions please contact Craig Borie at craig.borie@uky.edu.

Participate in Health Brigades

Shoulder to Shoulder has four brigades in which our students can participate. Brigade participants engage in a variety of cultural and service-learning opportunities while providing services such as basic medical and dental care, health education, school health screenings, women’s health, home visits and community-based learning.

* Health education May brigade engages participants in community health promotion, education, public health and interprofessional health care clinics. March, June and August are also interprofessional health care clinics but do not generally include a specific health education focus.

** STSG is continuing to monitor developments related to COVID-19 in the U.S. and Ecuador. Because developments are changing so rapidly, we must wait until closer to the time you depart to determine if your program is allowed to travel. 

Please do not pay any STSG fees or purchase your airfare until you are specifically instructed to do so by STSG. STSG will not be able to reimburse airfare or personal travel expenses.

2023 Brigade Dates

  • March 11th - 19th - UK's spring break

  • May 12th - 21st

  • June 9th - 18th

  • August 4th - 13th

Note for full-time students

As a part of the brigade experience, a credit bearing course is required for all full-time University of Kentucky students that participate in the 2023 brigades. The course is titled, “Interprofessional Teamwork in Global Health”. Themes include an overview of Ecuador, cultural anthropology and working in a multidisciplinary environment, among other topics. Once accepted into the brigades, participants will learn more about how to register for the course and all accepted participants will have a reserved spot for the course. If you have concerns about taking this course, please email Craig Borie at craig.borie@uky.edu for more information. 

Scholarships

Please see scholarship opportunities for the Shoulder to Shoulder Global brigades below.

New Horizons

Education Abroad offers the New Horizons scholarship. Please see the New Horizons scholarship on the UK Education Abroad website Programs > Education Abroad & Exchanges (uky.edu) for application deadline information or for related questions.  Deadline for the New Horizons scholarship is typically December 1st of the fall semester preceding the following years' spring and summer health brigades.

 

Benjamin Josephson Fund

For certain healthcare providers, the Benjamin Josephson Fund provides $1,000 scholarships. You can find out more information at http://bhjfund.org/

STSG Student Association

The STSG Student Association is currently offline. If you are interested in an opportunity to work with this organization, please email Craig Borie at craig.borie@uky.edu

Application deadline for first round selection is November 1st, 2022. Applications will be accepted until all slots are filled. Please email Craig Borie at craig.borie@uky.edu if you have questions.

Brigade Application and Payment Process

Step 1

Select brigade month of preference and if the experience will be for credit or noncredit. ​

Step 2

Submit application. 

Step 3

Shoulder to Shoulder Global (STSG) office will notify you of application status and if accepted, provide payment and next steps information. Note that this may take up to 1 month or more if applying for a brigade that leaves in the summer.

Step 4

If your application is wait-listed, the STSG office will notify you if an opening becomes available at a later date. 

Step 5

If accepted, the STSG office will send notification for when and how to make payment and the next steps to prepare for the brigade to Ecuador. Note: If the in-person STSG brigade is canceled by UK, STSG will refund administrative fees to you. 

Apply to Programs with Academic Credit

If you are a full-time UK student earning academic credit, choose the application below that corresponds to your Brigade: All full-time UK students should select the application for academic credit.

March Brigade

May Brigade

June Brigade

August Brigade

Note: When applying, a note may pop-up stating that there's a $50 charge. Please disregard this message as you will not be charged that fee just for applying. The charge is included in the brigade fee if you are accepted.

Apply to Programs Without Academic Credit

If you are not a full-time University of Kentucky student, or if you are not earning academic credit, choose the application below that corresponds to your brigade:

March Brigade

May Brigade

June Brigade

August Brigade

Note: When applying, a note may pop-up stating that there's a $50 charge. Please disregard this message as you will not be charged that fee just for applying. The charge is included in the brigade fee if you are accepted. 

Brigade Payments

Deposit (no refund): $300 - Due date listed on brigade payment email

Remaining Balance: $1195 due date listed in brigade payment email

craig.borie@uky.edu
(859) 218-2084
ukystsg