Health Education
THE FLOATING HOSPITAL SEEKS TO MOTIVATE AND EQUIP OUR PATIENTS TO LIVE HEALTHY LIVES
Through free community health-education programming, The Floating Hospital provides families and children experiencing homelessness with hands-on education and tools for managing chronic illnesses, maintaining nutritious diets, and developing social and practical life skills. Children receive free tutoring, and benefit from learning lifelong habits for physical/mental health, self-care and other literacies. The programs impart knowledge that can lead to sustainable healthy lifestyles and teach children skills that can keep them in school, help them make good decisions and foster positive coping mechanisms. Our health education team provides counseling, linkages to social services and physical needs such as essentials for infants, puberty kits and hygiene products.
Recognizing children and youth as change agents
The Floating Hospital’s health-education program serves the entire family with a focus on developing youth and children.
We recognize that children are natural change agents. They serve as inspiration for their entire families and help lead them to better nutrition and self-care. But lacking the structure of permanent housing, children experiencing homelessness can also become their own decision-makers out of necessity.
To help young people navigate the complexities brought on by transitional living, our programming for youth provides hands-on workshops in leadership, job and social skills, self-care and reproductive health, and on topics ranging from financial literacy, bullying and self-esteem to social-media practices to social justice.
CAMP RISE UP: LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS FOR HOMELESS YOUTH
Our summer camp for kids living in transitional housing combines classroom curricula and recreational opportunities that build the esteem, skills, knowledge and relationships that transient and underserved children can’t access in their everyday lives.
THE TEACHING KITCHEN
In the heart of the clinic is a teaching kitchen where families can attend free workshops on nutrition, food sourcing and preparation—especially customized to address the unique conditions of families living in homeless shelters. The teaching kitchen is designed to for families to experience hands-on demonstrations, for The Floating Hospital to bring in chef-educators for events, and to provide wholesome food and snacks to patients living in both low-income housing and family homeless shelters.
WORKSHOPS AND LESSONS
The Floating Hospital’s trained health educators answer questions and help set healthy goals for children and their families. Workshops are provided throughout the day in our main clinic, in shelters and at schools through our partnership with the NYC Office of Community Schools. The workshops can range from group settings to one-on-one consulations. Topics include:
Health
- Asthma
- Birth control/contraceptives
- Hepatitis A, B and C
- HIV/AIDS
- Immunizations
- Menstruation and menopause
- Puberty
- Reproduction and pregnancy
- Sexual health and STIs
- SIDS
Social-emotional learning and life skills
- Adulting 101
- Body image
- Bullying
- Child growth and development
- Communication skills
- Conflict resolution
- Consent
- Empathy and compassion
- Gender
- Healthy relationships
- Managing emotions
- Motivation
- New father baby 101
- Parenting skills
- Peer pressure
- Personal advocacy
- Personal development
- Pre/post-natal care and new mom baby 101
- Self-esteem
- Stress management
- Transitioning to high school
Healthy living and wellness
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Eating disorders
- Exercise/fitness
- Gaming addiction
- Mental health 101
- Obesity and weight management
- Personal hygiene
- Sleep
- Tobacco cessation
- Vaping
Educators: to schedule a workshop, email Dr. Meghan Miller mmiller@thefloatinghospital.org or use this form.
RESOURCES FOR PATIENTS
What’s happening in the classroom
Workshop calendar
Kitchen demos and tastings
Amaze sex ed
“I WAS MAD AT MY MOM FOR SIGNING ME UP. BUT, AS THE DAYS PASSED, EVERYBODY STARTED TO FEEL LIKE A FAMILY TO ME.”
At Camp Rise Up, kids living homelessness can exercise, build confidence, and learn about self-care in a beautiful, natural setting. Your generous donation will help send a teen to Rhinebeck, New York for a week of swimming, hiking, and interactive health education classes on topics like communication and consent. For many of these young people, Camp Rise Up represents their first encounter with nature, a positive experience that can shape their health, relationships and future.
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