Creating an Ecosystem of IP Student Engagement: Tools and Lessons from 50 Years of Co-Curricular IPE

Co-curricular interprofessional engagement provides a unique informal space for future health professionals to find and make authentic connections with one another, build leadership skills through experimentation and innovation, and shape their educational experiences. Well designed and supported initiatives can both enhance student wellbeing and meet interprofessional education goals.

For 50 years, the Center for Health Interprofessional Programs (CHIP) at the University of Minnesota has been supporting students across health professions to “do what matters to them, outside of the classroom, across professions.” CHIP’s origins in grassroots student organizing and advocacy have shaped its values and led to the development of opportunities for interprofessional engagement that are dynamic, accessible and resonant in a way that is distinct from the opportunities in a curricular setting.

In this seminar, CHIP Director, staff and student leaders will share their experiences working with students from more than 13 professional programs. Facilitators will lead the group in discussion and exercises to think creatively about co-curricular opportunities that both enhance interprofessional education and support a student-centered educational experience. Facilitators will share models based on their expertise in student engagement, leadership development, diversity equity and inclusion, communications, and health professional education that have been used to create accessible space, programming and communications for a diverse community of learners. Participants will be challenged to map existing examples of co-curricular interprofessional opportunities on their campuses, think creatively about how to expand the breadth and depth of these experiences, and/or innovate to meet the moment of student energy and interest.

After attending this session, participants will be able to: a) identify strengths and opportunities in their current offerings of co-curricular engagement, b) apply best practices in student engagement and leadership education to create new or refine existing opportunities, c) promote leadership development of students by supporting student-driven processes, products and peer education, and d) consider how co-curricular engagement can fulfill IPE goals and IPEC competencies.

This will be a highly interactive session, with examples from CHIP woven throughout the activities. Participants will use provided example models of co-currricular IPE to brainstorm, mind map, pair share and discuss student engagement at their institution with fellow participants and facilitators. Participants will engage in goal setting for post-session application of learning.