Welcome
The Office of Community and Outreach Programs (OCOP) was established in
2003. OCOP's mission is to increase diversity among Connecticut's oral
health professionals. We were established as a result of the
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation’s Pipeline, Profession and Practice: Community–based Dental
Education initiative.
OCOP directs two primary programs:
- Community-based dental education
- Recruitment and retention of under-represented students into
health professions
 The community-based dental education program is based on the theory
of service-learning. Service-learning is a structured learning
experience that combines community service with preparation and
reflection. Students engaged in service-learning provide community
service in response to community-identified concerns and learn about the
context in which service is provided, the connection between their
service and their academic coursework, and their roles as citizens.
Additionally, dental students are exposed to diverse cultures and
populations as they acquire cultural competency skills. Recruitment and
retention of under-represented students is an important aspect of OCOP.
Working with the
Health Careers and Opportunity Program, a long-standing
UConn initiative, OCOP compliments these programs by developing
additional strategies such as the
Pipeline Health Professions Summer
Academic Institute to support students interested in pursuing a degree
in Dental Medicine. The institutional leadership is committed to
expanding diversity at all levels, while assuring access to oral health
care for all of Connecticut’s citizenry. |
