Patient Day 2019 - Lunch, ENPOWR award presentation
Patient Awareness Day 2019: HEALTHY MIND & HAPPY PELVIS
Living Your Best Life With Endo
March 10, 2019 (8am - 5pm)
Einhorn Auditorium, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City
https://www.endofound.org/patientday/2019
This year, I wanted to focus on something a little bit different. I wanted to focus on what it is that makes ENPOWR a success and that's you, the community.
So, just over two years ago, we launched our Endo EduKit, which allows volunteers in the endometriosis community to take ENPOWR outside of New York City and in to their hometowns. The response has been absolutely incredible.
The passion, dedication, and persistence of volunteer Endo Educators, not only across the country, but around the world, has helped us to reach over 33,500 students in 16 states and six countries.
I could talk to you all day about how amazing it is to teach students about endometriosis, but instead I've asked our wonderful volunteers to share their experiences, using ENPOWRs Endo EduKit, to show you what it's like and hopefully inspire and empower you to take this important education to the students in your hometown.
Hi. My name is Natasha Dyer and I'm a volunteer in Endo Educator.
Hello. My name is Olivia Nwankudu and I'm a volunteer educator. I teach the Endo Educates in Lagos, Nigeria.
I bring the ENPOWR EduKit to schools in the state of Virginia.
The EduKit is thoughtfully put together and gives you the keys to be able to unlock conversations that have the potential of opening up the path to health advocacy for young students.
ENPOWR has been an amazing opportunity to introduce topics about menstrual cycle and in endometriosis health.
Endo taught about 37 young ladies about endometriosis, it's effects, the importance of early diagnosis, as well as my personal journey with endometriosis.
The first time I gave my presentation, I was a bit nervous and scared because I had not shared my story publicly.
But, at the end of it, several women came up to me to say, "Thank you."
But, I couldn't be more grateful that I was able to overcome that fear. Watching the young men take the turn of skeptical, at best, to understanding the level of impact that they might be able to have, by being able to advocate for the women in their lives, was nothing short of incredible.
One of the first reactions that I get when I teach and ENPOWR, in the schools from the young girls is, "Wow, there's finally someone who understands me and is not just telling me that my period pain is normal."
The students were very receptive. They were extremely engaged. There were some who seemed a tad bit confused initially, but after a while they begin to open up a little bit and they became more receptive and less shy.
It was almost as if we created a safe space.
It's just been amazing. I love doing it. I often walk away, myself, feeling very empowered and just positive.
What teaching ENPOWR means to me is everything.
I was excited that I was able to teach students how to advocate for themselves.
That channeling my energy into spreading awareness has been an incredible source of hope and it was great.
The reason I do this is because I wanted to give young women what I wish I had, and that's information.
I've been a volunteer with the Endo Found has given me the opportunity to empower young girls and teach them so many things that I wish I had been taught when I was much younger.
ENPOWR has been such a great project to bring the attention of youngers and school authorities to endometriosis education and to [inaudible 00:04:06] who about menstruation.
As we know, it can take upwards of 10 years to get diagnosed with this disease. So, providing young women with the signs and symptoms and information about it can hopefully lead to them getting better treatment outcomes in their own lives.
I tell them that endometriosis does not and will not stop you from pursuing your dream.
I think presentations, like the one Ms. [Patel 00:04:32] gave us, really highlights how necessary it is that we built a community of women are empowered, but still live with endometriosis.
People have answers. So, I was really grateful that I got to learn this information.
So, yes. Please go into your communities. Please teach this ENPOWRing educational.
So, if you're not an Endo Educator, I invite you to be one.
I encourage you today to be a volunteer educator. It's rewarding in so many ways. Thank you.
Hopefully, that has inspired you and empowered you to go out into your own communities and present the EduKit there. If you're interested, I am more than happy to talk to you all about it. So, just come find me.
Each year we present an ENPOWR Award to a person or institution that has shown dedication to educating students about endometriosis. Last year, I had the pleasure of presenting the award to our dedicated New York City based volunteer, Stephanie Morris. I'd like to call up Stephanie today to present the 2019 ENPOWR Award.
Good afternoon. Thank you, Nina.
Since the inception of ENPOWR Program in 2013, we have sought out to raise awareness about endometriosis, specifically within the youth population. We aim to reach high school students first. The hope is that they learn how to recognize symptoms of endo, which can lead to an earlier diagnosis of the disease.
One school in particular has continuously partnered with us to achieve this goal. Marymount School of New York, located on the Upper East Side, has welcomed us into the classroom every single year since the program started. Under this partnership, more than a dozen classes have been taught about endometriosis, most recently, with lessons in November.
I was there and was met by the most enthusiastic students and teachers. I played a trivia style game with two classes and every student was eager to participate. They couldn't wait to answer the questions and when the activity was over, they were like sponges ready to soak up any additional information about endo.
In the two years that I've been volunteering with this organization, I've never had a lesson in which a class answered every question correctly. However, both classes did. That enthusiasm wasn't just my unique experience. Students there have an excellent track record of understanding and mastering the material, as they've answered 100% in several categories on our post lesson assessment.
So, for their willingness to raise awareness about endometriosis and their commitment to health education, it is with great pleasure and honor that I present the Marymount School of New York with the 2019 ENPOWR Award. So, please come up to accept on their behalf, Juliet and Meghan.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Juliet.
Thank you so much.
You guys are awesome.
Hi, everyone. My name is Meghan Mackowiak and I am the school nurse at Marymount for the Upper School. So, I also, as part of that role, co-teach health for the 10th grade students.
Thank you so much for recognizing, for this recognition, but really we want to say thank you to the Endometriosis Foundation for what you're doing for our students. Teaching them about endometriosis is so important, but I think one of the overarching themes, not only today, but in the lessons, is really the advocacy for the students, for their own health.
At the end of the presentation, Stephanie, the students pledged, with Stephanie's guidance, to spread additional knowledge about endometriosis, which is again, like we've heard today over and over, so important for women's health and their diagnosis.
On behalf of Marymount, thank you very much. We look forward to continuing this partnership and working for advocacy for women's health. Thank you.
Thank you. [inaudible 00:08:50].
[inaudible 00:08:51]. Here you go.
Hi there. My name is Juliet. Let's not do that. Okay. I'm going to hold it.
My name is Juliet. I'm a senior at Marymount School of New York and I had the ENPOWR Education Presentation in my sophomore year. I think the one thing that really stuck with me, and I felt was really reiterated at today's, through today's speakers and the information, is that the education that we receive, especially as young girls, is empowerment.
At such a young age, when I'm in an all girls school, being able to have a space where, we women, can talk about issues of health, or talk about different struggles we're going through, is incredibly empowering. I'm so grateful to the Endometriosis Foundation for providing that to our students and different girls in my grade, and for making it possible that we're able to talk about issues of women's health. We're able to talk about these topics openly with this open spirit that's enthusiastic.
We can go into our student spaces and ask if anybody has a tampon, in a very open and encouraging way, because we are able to confront these issues. Through the Endometriosis Foundation, through Ms. [Bodey 00:10:02] and Ms. Mack, having these educational seminars is just so important to me, as a student, and something that when I graduate, is completely going to stick with me forever, I hope.
I really want to continue this education. Pay if forward. So, thank you.
