The 91视频鈥檚 Jack J. Valenti School of Communication and Department of Psychology, with Harris County Precinct 2, are hosting a bilingual screening of a soap opera mini-series produced, written and directed by UH students on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the Harris County Precinct 2 North East Community Center.
The translated into English as 鈥淢emories of My Grandfather,鈥� tells the story of an aging family patriarch dealing with his declining brain health and how it affects his entire family who supports him through his Alzheimer鈥檚 diagnosis.
The purpose of the series is to inform the Hispanic community about its risk of developing Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. yet they represent only 1% of clinical trials.
鈥淚n order to help reduce health disparities, we need to involve these communities in the decision-making process,鈥� said Luis D. Medina, assistant professor of psychology. 鈥淭here are various barriers to getting involved in research, including health literacy or what people actually know about Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. In the Hispanic/Latino communities, it is often thought of as just a part of aging.鈥�
The telenovelas premiered in November 2022, but the work began a year earlier with a hackathon-style script writing contest in which the best script was turned into a telenovela series. Students fully wrote, produced, shot and edited the mini-series in both English and Spanish.
鈥淭he telenovelas are authentic; the Valenti students who wrote and produced them are from the Latino community. They grew up watching 鈥榥ovelas鈥� with their grandparents, and they have watched similar health issues take a toll on their families,鈥� said Jen Vardeman, director of the School of Communication and associate professor of communication.
鈥淭hey used their writing and producing skills to bring to life an important issue. Real-world experience like this prepares students to tell the stories of their communities as future film producers, journalists, public relations professionals and advertisers.鈥�
The Feb. 28 screening will include a proclamation recognizing the work of the a collaborative of researchers, clinicians and community organizers, led by Medina and funded by the National Institute on Aging. The event will include screenings of both the Spanish and English versions of the telenovelas followed by bilingual panel discussions featuring Medina and research associates. Community partners will be available with information and resources; partners include the Collaborative on Aging Research and Multicultural Assessment at UH, Area Agency on Aging, Legacy Health, Vecino Health, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, AARP and Alzheimer's Association. .
Who: UH Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, UH Department of Psychology and Harris County Precinct 2
What: Screenings of UH student-produced telenovela mini-series on Alzheimer鈥檚 awareness
Where: Harris County Precinct 2 North East Community Center, 10918 Bentley St., Houston, TX 77093
When: Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m.