GNTC’s Human Lactation program honors students
Twelve students in Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Human Lactation program were recently honored at the Gordon County Campus in Calhoun.
The event was an opportunity for the students to celebrate their accomplishments with family, friends and faculty.
Shannon Vann, a GNTC Human Lactation student from Dallas, shared some of the challenges the class faced during the pandemic.
“Challenges the class of 2021 faced were schedule changes when several students were quarantined and we had a couple of virtual weeks in a row. This was communicated as best as possible so we could plan on where we needed to be,” said Vann. “Personal Protective Equipment was another concern, but equipment was provided to the students for use and maintenance throughout the clinical rotation.”
During the month of October, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, GNTC’s Human Lactation students designed campaigns for community public health as a capstone project.
“One of the students created a social media infographic highlighting breast cancer statistics based on a local hospital’s efforts to boost mammograms and correlated it with the reduced risk experienced by parents who body feed,” said GNTC’s Human Lactation program director, Audrey Thompson.
Another initiative the Human Lactation program undertook was implementing an alumni association. The alumni association includes members from all previous Human Lactation classes.
The alumni association meets quarterly, either virtually or in-person. “We plan to hold one or two events yearly outside of the pinning ceremony for program graduates and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam study groups. We also plan on having an alumni member involved in the 2022 class for study guidance, tutoring and as an ongoing presence to build the membership of the association,” said Vann.
The Human Lactation program at GNTC gives students clinical and classroom experience in the management of lactation, breastfeeding counseling skills and general health sciences.
The Human Lactation Diploma program at GNTC provides academic foundations at the diploma level for the clinical management of breastfeeding and human lactation. Program graduates are trained in the standards of practice and code of ethics. They work within a defined scope of practice. The program provides clinical practice experience in management of lactation and breastfeeding counseling skills, as well as education in human lactation, breastfeeding and general health sciences. The program graduates will be trained to sit for International Board of Lactation Examiners Certification to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) which is considered the highest certification of a lactation professional.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,820 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,591 students and an additional enrollment of 3,229 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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Casie Cavin
Marketing Media Specialist
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