Student attendees of the Community Engagement Fair listen to the table volunteer, on Friday, September 4, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar
A year into its founding, the Office of Community Engagement held their first student organization fair on Sept. 4 at the Elizabeth Rockwell Pavilion, featuring the impact of 27 student-led initiatives.
“Our students build long-term projects by fostering relationships with community partners, gaining real-world leadership experience while pursuing initiatives they’re passionate about,” said program director Cara Shockler.
Honors in Community Health projects
Honors in Community Health leads projects that focus on non-medical drivers of health.
“We want to help people get more involved in the community and advocate for their health,” said junior honors biomedical science junior Varun Balaji.
The Wildlife & Environmental Advocacy & Relief Project is an environmental justice project that educates communities on the role that air, water, soil and location plays with human health.
“It’s hard for the fifth ward community to access fresh food,” said physics junior Ari Ramos. “Our volunteers have partnered with expert gardeners to help people grow gardens in their infertile backyards by teaching them how to successfully use growing techniques with raised garden beds.”
Self-Advocacy for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities holds weekly sessions with intellectually-disabled adults to teach them how to communicate the status and needs of their health.
Other projects in the HICH Program include Better Respiratory Education & Assistance Targeting Houston’s Elementary, The Creative Care Project, Project Engaging & Encouraging Rising Students, Responsive Resourcing and Operation Fusion.
“We’ve seen a lot of improvement in how these patients can more independently update health professionals and caregivers about their symptoms and needs,” said public health junior Greg Gonzalez. “It’s so important for them to be able to communicate.”
Community Action & Responsive Engagement projects
In CARE, students serve on one of eight projects aimed at building collaborative community partnerships addressing education opportunity gaps, food insecurity and more.
Through the Letting Everyone Achieve Dreams project, mentors have taught middle school students social and emotional skills.
“We want to understand the root cause of behavioral problems and act as a safe place for them to grow,” said accounting junior and curriculum development mentor Trista Sparks.
Writing to Inspire Successful Education mentors bilingual elementary students to improve their English literacy and prepare them for the STAAR test.
“I’ve made really good bonds with the kids, it’s amazing and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said psychology sophomore Isabella Cortez. “We all know the kids by name because the program is so hands-on.”
Science Mentoring for a Richer Tomorrow helps middle school students improve their science section scores on the STAAR test and develop their academic and personal confidence.
“Our mission is to alleviate educational disparities and help develop a passion for science for these kids,” said senior biology major Teresa Maguadog, who also serves as mentor of training and communications executive.
CARE’s other projects include AmplifyHER, Aspire, Food Insecurity Team, Resilience Identity Support Empower and Fostering Relationships through Empowerment, Sustainability and Health.
Independent projects
The Patient Discharge Initiative supports underserved patients at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Volunteers screen patients for the causes of their health visit and connect them to resources.
“It’s opened my eyes to what people are going through in my community,” said program president and biochemical and biophysical sciences senior Aiden Barboza. “More than half of the patients I see at the hospital are also hispanic and I’m happy to be able to give back.”
Other booths that were present at the fair were Court Watch, KGMCA Community Arts Office, Texas Rising, MVP and Public Law Internship.
Fellowship projects
Undergraduate fellows from the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship launched their nationally-recognized projects.
Partnering with Houston Hospice, Memories That Matter aims to provide a source of reflection, learning and creativity to hospice patients by engaging in hands-on activities with them.
Co-founders Komathi Sivakumar, a chemistry junior, and Maryam Kausar, an honors biomedical science junior, explained that their volunteers store and document their patient’s work in a “memory kit,” which also includes a written memoir for families to hold on to when their loved one passes away.
“Our hospice patient opened up about feeling lonely when her children became too busy to care for her,” Kausar said. “As a volunteer, I wanted to be there for her and we got really close, especially because my co-founder and I were both fluent in her primary language, Urdu.”
One time, Kausar asked the patient what she wanted them to call her because in Indian culture, they want to refer to their elders with a term of respect.
“She said, ‘Please call me nani,’ which means grandmother,” Kausar said. “That made me so incredibly happy and it just reminded me of the reason why I do this.”
Big Sister Circle holds weekly workshops at Amaanah Refugee Services every Sunday with refugee women who are seeking silent care. They provide cultural-transition advice, community resources, and emotional support.
“It was very heartwarming to hear them appreciate our workshops because they don’t feel so isolated anymore,” said biochemistry senior Sri Achanta. “They’ve been through so much, and continue to face daily struggles while being away from their culture and language, and we want to help them.”
With support from the Annette Strauss Institute and the Houston Endowment, Ballots & Belonging advocates to increase first generation and minority student representation in the voting pools by leading a 4-week civic engagement program at Austin High School.
Operating in two stages in the fall semester, Coogs teach the high school students about voting and civic engagement. Then they’re invited to be a part of the change.
“We want to help students be more engaged in their communities and understand the importance of voting, especially given the nuances of the current political atmosphere and what’s happening to immigrant communities and minority communities,” said co-founder and psychology senior Adithi Nythruva.
Departmental initiatives
The Community Health Workers Initiative trains certified community health workers. Students have led projects with Community Family Centers, Patient Care Intervention Center, The Higher Way Church at Crestmont, Bread of Life, Inc., Vecino, Immunization Partnership and Rare & Atypical Diabetes Network.
“We want to connect people to resources and help them make healthy choices,” said program director Alejandro Quijano.
The Third Ward Initiative is improving the community in education, art, culture, economic empowerment and health.
“Our student ambassador program gives students the opportunity to volunteer with local community organizations,” said executive assistant to the vice president Carl Heron.
UH Population Health aims to collaborate across disciplines and translate research to improve the wellbeing of communities. The Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health students provides support for students to explore, connect and contribute to projects, posters and conferences.
“We ask why our nation is so unhealthy. We have tons of great science that teaches us how to live healthier, and yet, that science is not getting out to the people who need it. We want to bridge that gap,” said professor Quinn Valier.
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