UNC PT Outreach Takes Students to Guatemala

Nicole Edwards bonds with one of the patients from Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro.

Thirteen UNC-Chapel Hill physical therapy students, along with faculty members Sadye Errickson and Dawn Phillips, spent their spring break in Antigua, Guatemala, working with patients at the Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, helping to improve the homes of some Guatemalan citizens through the non-profit organization De Casas a Hogares (From Houses to Homes), and absorbing the local culture through experiences such as touring a family run coffee farm, hiking the Pacaya volcano, and witnessing the city’s processionals. The trip was part of UNC PT Outreach, a service project designed to meet the needs of underserved populations and increase cultural competence among future physical therapists. You can read daily reports on the group’s activities and see photographs of the trip on the UNC PT Outreach blog http://uncptoutreach.blogspot.com/.