SCRANTON, Pa. — Marywood University's STARS program is holding its second health fair at McNichols Plaza Elementary School in Scranton.
The STARS program—Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success—provides educational resources to help Latino students create a pathway from middle school to college.
This year the health fair clinic is partnering with McNichols Plaza Elementary School at their annual family picnic.
"We have food ordered, face paint, tattoos, a bounce house, I think some kind of an obstacle course, a dunk tank," said Suzanne Shaffer, a reading teacher at McNichols Plaza.
The health fair clinic will have several help organizations among the fun.
"It will be a variety of organizations. I want to say about half of our health clinics offer some kind of health care service, and they'll be providing information and educational resources or actual screenings," said Jenny Gonzalez Monge, director of the STARS program.
There will also be organizations like United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA. The organization seeks to meet the needs of local low-income families, seniors, youth, and new immigrant families to help them become self-sufficient.
The goal of the health fair clinic is to reduce the health care disparity gap among the growing immigrant community in Scranton.
"We have a very diverse community which we embrace. We recognize the uniqueness of everyone, of every single one of our students. We recognize the beauty that they bring to our school and the varieties of cultures that they have," said McNichols Plaza Principal Mina Ardestani.
Organizers say the health fair clinic within the annual family picnic is a way to close the school year in a fun way that also provides important assistance for families.
The health fair will be on June 5 at McNichols Plaza Elementary School in Scranton from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.