SURAKARTA – Students from the Health Promotion, Behavioral Sciences, and Community Empowerment (PKIP) concentration of the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), conducted an educational visit to Yayasan Kakak Surakarta on May 23, 2026. The visit was organized as part of the department’s field-based learning activities, aiming to broaden students’ understanding of community empowerment, child protection, and the implementation of health promotion within community settings.
The program began with a welcoming session and an introduction to Yayasan Kakak Surakarta. Students learned about the foundation’s history, vision, mission, and its various programs dedicated to protecting, assisting, and empowering children and other vulnerable populations.
During the visit, students engaged in interactive discussions with the foundation’s representatives on a range of public health–related social issues, including child protection, the prevention of violence against children, adolescent reproductive health, mental health, and the importance of community-based approaches in creating safe and healthy environments.
Participants also gained valuable insights into the communication, advocacy, and educational strategies employed by Yayasan Kakak to raise public awareness and strengthen cross-sector collaboration. These discussions highlighted that successful public health interventions require not only medical and preventive efforts but also strong partnerships among communities, government institutions, educational organizations, and civil society.
The field visit provided students with an opportunity to connect classroom theories with real-world practice. By interacting directly with a community-based organization, they gained a deeper understanding of how health promotion, behavioral change, and community empowerment principles are translated into practical programs that address complex social and public health challenges.
The Department of Public Health UMS remains committed to delivering experiential learning that prepares students to understand public health issues from multidisciplinary perspectives. Collaborations with organizations such as Yayasan Kakak Surakarta enrich students’ academic experiences while strengthening their capacity to design and implement community-centered health promotion initiatives.
Through this educational visit, the Department of Public Health UMS hopes to cultivate graduates who are not only academically competent but also socially responsible, empathetic, and equipped with the leadership and communication skills needed to become professional public health practitioners capable of improving the well-being of communities at both the national and global levels.
