HEALTH FAIR EXTENSION PROJECT:

a bridge between education and citizenship

Abstract

The Health Fair outreach project of the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) was created in 2002, aiming to bring the university closer to the community, promoting health education. Over the years, the initiative has consolidated itself as a space for interaction between students, professors, technicians and health professionals with students, parents and educators from public and private schools. This article aims to present an overview of the experience of planning, executing and evaluating a Health Fair outreach project, highlighting its impact on academic training and on educating to promote health for children and adolescents. The main proposal is to promote interaction between  university and community, creating an environment that stimulates interaction and reflection on essential topics for public health. As a result, we highlight the integration between teaching, research and outreach with social responsibility, teaching students to be critical and reflect on how to  build a more dynamic and inclusive health education practice that is connected to local realities. Even in the face of challenges such as the pandemic and floods in Rio Grande do Sul, the Health Fair project adapted and remained active. This experience can be replicated in other places, reaffirming universities outreach programs as an essential link between them and the community.