Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships hosts Youth Summit at the University of Missouri Kansas City
On Friday, April 19, Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships (DIDM), one of the inaugural awardees of the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund, hosted a “Youth Summit” at the University of Missouri Kansas City. The Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit™ aims to inspire high school students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds to consider a career in dentistry. The Summit's focus includes an immersive exploration of the oral health profession, engagement with diverse dental professionals, and activities designed to inspire participants to envision themselves as a dentist, highlighted by the White Coat Ceremony.
“It was an incredibly moving experience to stand before these young people, many of whom had never considered a future in dentistry, and share that I once sat in the very same room over 20 years ago, feeling out of place because I didn't see others who looked like me,” said Laila B. Hishaw, DDS, FACD, FICD, Founder & President, Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships. “But thanks to the Youth Summit, supported by the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund, we were able to show them that they truly belong in this field.”
The Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund’s investment will enable DIDM to host more Youth Summits and create an expansion toolkit to guide dental schools in broadening oral health career pathways by strategically engaging the communities they serve, including by hosting events similar to the Summit.
