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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Mitchel Rosen, MS¹, Bernadette M. West, PhD², and Karen L. Benjamin, MPH, CHES². (1) Office of Public Health Practice, UMDNJ- School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 07756, 732-235-9452, mrosen@umdnj.edu, (2) School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854

To help address a projected public health workforce shortage, the Impacting Lives Every Day: Careers in Public Health program used a three-pronged approach to provide information about public health to high schools. The program provided career information to students, resources for teachers to include public health in the curriculum, and general information about public health as a discipline. Faculty and staff from the UMDNJ-School of Public Health and local public health professionals delivered 19 training sessions reaching 464 students with information and activities. Presentations included background on public health practice, how it differs from medical practice, and career information. In-service trainings provided 36 teachers with resources and classroom activities for teaching about public health. Additionally, a comprehensive resource package was sent to 450 schools for continued use by students, teachers, and guidance counselors. Training evaluations showed an increased likelihood among teachers to integrate public health information into the classroom. One educator remarked that “the resources offered were excellent and I can easily see where the activities will encourage activities with other disciplines in the high school!” There was also an increased likelihood among students to consider a career in public health, and there were many positive comments received, such as the one from a teen who found that “epidemiology is totally cool and interesting”. Even if students do not choose a career in public health, the initiative provides schools with a better understanding of the field, ensuring that students and educators recognize how public health impacts us every day.

Learning Objectives:

• List factors contributing to a projected public health workforce shortage. Describe measures taken to educate high school teachers and students about public health and related career options. Apply lessons learned from this initiative to similar workforce development efforts.

Keywords: Workforce, School-Based Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation