College of Nursing Stages Community Outreach in Zawita titled “Pathway to Hope”

Zawita, Duhok, Kurdistan Region – On October 22, 2025, the College of Nursing at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) launched its fall semester community outreach with “Pathway to Hope”, an initiative focused on promoting mental health awareness and emotional well-being. The outreach was organized by the third-year nursing students under the guidance of nursing faculty member, Ms. Natalie Richard.  The primary target audience was school-aged children with the message that healthy habits start early. Ms. Natalie Richard remarked: "Through Pathway to Hope, our students lived out the College of Nursing’s commitment to caring, service, and excellence in meeting the health needs of our community." The event featured five student-led stations: Taking Care of Emotions; Healthy Minds–Healthy Community; Stress/Anxiety/Depression Awareness; Healthy Lifestyle & Self-Care’ and Resilience & Hope. Each station encouraged open discussions, games, and creative exercises that fostered confidence, optimism, and community connection. For AUK’s nursing students, “Pathway to Hope” provided hands-on experience in community health education, teamwork, and leadership, while strengthening collaboration with local schools and village leaders to advance mental health awareness.