Dental Foundation Grants
The National Dental Association Foundation (NDAF) sponsors various community service projects across the nation. We focus on educating children and adults, while helping to improve the oral health and overall health of minority communities. The NDAF accomplishes this part of our mission through providing various grant opportunities and leveraging collaborative relationships. If you or your organization would like to be considered for a community service grant, please contact us.
Partners For Life
The National Dental Association Foundation’s Partners for Life Program has a mission to help increase the pipeline of under-represented groups in the health professions workforce. The program provides funding for groups, foundations or organizations that have qualified programs that will help accomplish this goal. Partner’s for Life also focuses on mentorship as a key component to help increase minority participation in health sciences. Collectively, the nation’s 'medical, nursing, and dental schools have not succeeded in their efforts to achieve greater diversity among their students and, in turn, to develop a health professions workforce with the skills and diversity needed to maintain the nation’s position as a world leader in health care. Few models of successful minority student development and recruitment efforts exist despite the frequent, and loudly voiced, agreement that this is a problem that can and must, be solved.
Lessons in a Lunch Box
Lessons in a Lunchbox: Healthy Teeth Essentials and Facts About Snacks is an oral health literacy program designed to empower children and their families with the proper knowledge about routine dental care, oral health maintenance, good dietary choices, and more, using a “dentally designed” lunchbox. The orange lunchbox provided to first through third grade school-aged children contains oral hygiene education, a variety of oral hygiene tools and an attractive carrot to house the oral hygiene products. The lunchbox is also friendly for the seeing impaired. This program is one of many developed by the Children’s Oral Health Institute (www.mycohi.org). Lessons in a Lunchbox has been instrumental in improving the oral health habits of young school-aged children, and in increasing the educational literacy as it pertains to oral health of both parents and children in underserved communities.
IDID Scholars
Increasing Diversity in Dentistry (IDID) Scholars Pipeline Program prepares pre-dental college students for dental school. Evidence indicates increasing diversity among health professionals is important to improve access to care for underserved patients, which is one aspect of a lager framework to eliminate oral health disparities. Key program components are: mentoring, academic enrichment, and community service. The program thrives on partnerships with dental societies, dental schools, and other organizations, to promote better oral health outcomes in communities. IDID Scholars sign a 2-year commitment agreement to serve in underserved communities after they complete dental school. Started in 2010, on the Atlanta University Campus, there are now more than 75 formal IDID Scholars. Donations are always welcomed to help with costs of program activities, which include:
Tutors
Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) prep materials
DAT for dental school application
Dental school application fees
Extra courses to boost GPA
Living expenses to reduce the need for part-time jobs
Transportation and accommodations to attend NDA annual convention.