HUB Augusta Partnership Wins $200,000 NIH Award for High School Health Program

The HUB for Community Innovation Augusta and the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University secured $200,000 from the National Institutes of Health Build UP Trust Challenge. Their program? Community Outreach through Athletics in Colleges and High Schools (COACHS).

COACHS serves high school students and families by addressing physical and social needs. During the competition year, athletic trainers provided care in 598 on-site encounters with students.

Monte Hunter, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at MCG, started the original program. His work placed athletic trainers in local high schools, boosting health care access for students in underserved areas. COACHS built on that foundation.

"The HUB was created to meet the needs of Harrisburg and Laney Walker communities with the goal of ensuring the community's voice is not an afterthought, but a driving force," said Britney Pooser, president and CEO of the HUB Augusta Collaborative, per Augusta University Jagwire. "This national recognition affirms the strength of our collaboration with Augusta University and our shared commitment to research that is grounded in trust, accountability, and lived experience."

The Teen Leadership Council became a cornerstone of the program. Twelve high school students from eight schools in Richmond and McDuffie counties joined forces. Two local teachers and two medical students served as mentors. These teens worked at preparticipation physical events and disaster response activities.

"Being a part of the Teens Leading Change with the HUB was a great experience; it helped me build confidence, speak more, and actually feel like I can make a difference in my community," said Xzavier Neal, a high school senior participating in Teens Leading Change.

Pooser intends to invest the prize money in expanding the program's reach to more local students and their families.