Public health serendipity in action within communities: Impactful gains from holistic mentoring of our dual role teachers while in graduate school (and beyond)

Significance: Despite tremendous public health advancements, the 21^st Century presents peculiar challenges including healthography/geospatial issues. School health communities are confronted with local/state/nationally significant but nearly insurmountable concerns including emerging obesity and violence epidemics. A serendipitous opportunity of appropriate solutions involves mentoring of dual role individuals: (1) serving as practicing K-12 teachers familiar with where students live; and (2) simultaneously enrolled in graduate public health programs. This case study demonstrates ensuing powerful impacts to promote health and well-being of students/staff members. Methodology: Following introductory/mid-level coursework, capstone courses required research studies/opportunities to integrate/apply learned materials. Consulting with mentors, graduate students selected high priority health issues relevant to target populations, and amenable to public health intervention. Needs assessment (Precede-Proceed Model) heralded development, implementation, and evaluation (formative, process, and control groups/Pre- & Post-test) of interventions. Study utilized qualitative (Epi Info) and quantitative (SPSS) data analysis techniques. Findings/Results: Public health law didactic training served as a critical component helping trainees avoid “land mines” during program implementation. Through providential K-12 school districts’ administrative support, lifestyle programs for K-12 faculty (role models), community health fairs to involve families, supervision of student health clubs, infusion of new material into existing health curricula, and development of new courses that met students’ felt needs (e.g. self-defense to address emerging societal issues). Conclusions/Recommendations: Holistic public health training/mentorship hits the mark for school health trainees/graduates.  Yes – while working, discovering, and learning together; older dogs can indeed learn new tricks and avoid legal snafus! This model can be widely replicate.