Awakening the Social Justice Conscience: Lessons Learned from Public Health Service Learning

Recognizing the value of population-based methodologies in health promotion and disease prevention, Lourdes Health System established the Lourdes Center for Public Health (LCPH) in 2006 to develop community-academic partnerships for service learning and public health research to benefit the communities it serves in Southern New Jersey.

These partnerships have increased Lourdes' public health research capacity by connecting with the regions' rich university resources, while innovatively networking with students interested in issues of social justice and responsibility in health care. LCPH, as the community partner, works with students and faculty to identify public health challenges, design research, and develop intervention strategies for the urban and vulnerable populations served by Lourdes. LCPH exposes students to the plight of the vulnerable, underserved and poor, and inspires them to address issues of social justice and health disparity in their future careers.

Since 2006, 168 undergraduate and graduate students from over twelve universities have participated with LCPH through community-based learning initiatives, individual theses, and paid and volunteer internships. Together, these students have completed more than thirty projects including: community-based needs assessments, evaluations of access to care, and assessments of food access and insecurity in New Jersey's cities.

This presentation will highlight the basic partnership model, student program structure and key lessons learned in the formation and operation of the Lourdes Center for Public Health and its research programs. Additionally, it will provide insight and direction to organizations interested in adapting this type of grassroots community-academic partnership for their community.