Chewonki

(Maine)

“Life-Changing Learning in Nature”

“Chewonki inspires transformative growth, teaches appreciation and stewardship of the natural world, and challenges people to build thriving, sustainable communities throughout their lives.”

-Chewonki Mission Statement

Supporting a Health Center Redesign
and Restructuring during COVID-19

Challenges

Pre-COVID, Chewonki recognized that while they had years of experience adapting their health services to the unique needs of the participants across their programs, they wanted to take it a step further by bringing in experts to complete a Health and Wellness Assessment. COVID arrived shortly thereafter and they recognized more than ever how crucial it was to keep health and wellness as a focal point of their work in bringing everyone back to campus. Chewonki had a vision, and Elevate responded to their Request for Proposal (RFP) by going above and beyond what was asked for. Through a collaborative approach, Elevate also helped support Chewonki as they renovated their health center in preparation for re-opening in the fall of 2020.

Further Context

Located on a 400-acre peninsula in Maine, Chewonki operates an elementary school, a semester program for juniors in high school, a boys and girls camp, leadership expeditions, outdoor classrooms, and a traveling natural history program.

Assessing and Identifying Needs

  1. Elevate took the time to respond to the RFP by not only answering the questions that Chewonki had set forth but also by introducing more critical reflective questions to answer throughout their work

  2. Upon being awarded the project, Elevate jumped right into the assessment. Chewonki encouraged a breakdown of the timeline to include two Phases of Assessment. Phase 1 focused primarily on Chewonki’s health operational preparedness and their health services structures' ability to re-open post-COVID lockdown, whereas the Phase 2 assessment focused wholly on the adjustments and creation of health and wellness programming and systems within and across  Chewonki’s programs.

  3. Some of the needs identified include:

    1. To revamp their health center into a coeducational health center, rooted in modern standards of coordinated health care services. 

    2. Consistency and sustainability of healthcare staff

Recommendations

  1. Improve records management by keeping a consistent health recording system across departments

  2. Partnering with outside healthcare providers to serve as additional resources.

  3. Offer extra staff training within the realm of health services

  4. Additional considerations for the health center

Phase I

  1. The addition of “cultivating well-being” as a core component of Chewonki’s mission

  2. The creation of a health and wellness advisory committee, alongside a strategic plan to initiate some of the recommendations produced by Elevate

  3. Update the health and wellness curriculum to reflect their health and wellness mission statement, and include additional health topics

  4. Be aware of and continue to be inclusive of all genders and actively confront gender biases

Phase II

Transformations

Throughout Elevate’s collaboration with Chewonki, a vast majority of their proposed recommendations were implemented. For the redesigned health center, Elevate provided hiring support and improved health center sustainability. They successfully reopened in the Fall of 2020 with a health center staffed and fully equipped to handle the changing needs of their student population.

Moving Forward

Today, Chewonki continues its nature-based educational mission with the support of an integrated health center, connected health curriculum, and provides a culture of care that is completely aligned with their newly adopted addition of “cultivating well-being” as a core component of their mission.

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