Intercollegiate collaboration: The Philadelphia Public Health Student Council as a model for regional collaboration

Collaboration is an integral part of public health practice. In regions with multiple public health masters programs, it is imperative to identify effective strategies for intercollegiate collaboration to increase prevention, promote manpower and reduce duplication of efforts. The Philadelphia Public Health Student Council (PPHSC) was established in the spring of 2006 to increase intercollegiate student organization and advocacy for public health policy at the regional level. The philosophical grounding of PPHSC is Network Theory; it is a hub of student activity, bridging interests and channeling activism from the boundaries of respective schools to the larger Philadelphia region. PPHSC is comprised of two voting councilors from each of the eight (8) institutions with graduate programs in Public Health; PPHSC represents over 350 students. Councilors are organized into project groups; three projects occur annually and include a speaker event in the fall, promoting National Public Health Week activities across the region, and an end of year public health poster session. Planning and implementing regional public health education and advocacy activities, while remaining nonaligned with scholastic institutions, has created interest among non-school organizations in partnering with the PPHSC, extending the council's reach beyond intercollegiate collaboration. The important attributes for and the process of establishing a Public Health Student Council and the potential benefits of regional student collaboration are emphasized. Feasibility of extending this type of student driven initiative to other regions will be assessed.