Resumo

VASCONCELOS, Mara et al. Children in the Park. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2011, vol.47, suppl.2, pp. 60-63. ISSN 1516-0939.

The Children in the Park Project, begun as an extension of the Children's House in the Park Project, implemented by the community of the Serra neighborhood, in the city of Belo Horizonte. The original project, aimed at offering full services of education and healthcare to children and youth living in the surroundings areas of Mangabeiras Park. The Children in the Park Project aims to act directly with children and adolescents through health promoting initiatives, emphasizing the empowerment of individuals and the community concerning their own health. It also offers primary health care for the same population. Weekly health promoting activities take place at Mangabeiras Park, and clinical healthcare is provided at the UFMG School of Dentistry. Undergraduate students, teachers, and civil servants working in the park take part in the project. Active methods such as workshops are used in the activities with children and adloescents. The project has proven to be a promising scenario to respond to social demands and for the education of dental students as required by the National Curricular Guidelines for undergraduate courses in the field of health. There is some expectation that, in the near future, clinical care can be provided for children and adolescents in the primary healthcare units located near the community. It is currently expected that the expansion of the project's activities will require a strengthening in the interaction among the community, city hall, and UFMG. In such a scenario the definition of sustainability strategies is of utmost importance. The project has shown great potential to enlarge the horizon of both dental practice and dental education, reinforcing the potential of those involved, particularly as regards health promotion practices.

Palavras-chave : Child.; Primary health care.; Oral health..