The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65424

Robert T. Elliott¹, Robert F. Luo, MD/MPH candidate², Elizabeth G. McCarthy¹, Melissa S. Tracy, BA³, and Adam R. Taylor, MPP⁴. (1) College, Harvard University, 208 Leverett Mail Center, Cambridge, MA 02137, (617) 233 7280, relliott@fas.harvard.edu, (2) School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, (3) New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY 10029, (4) Global Justice, 22 Putnam Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

With half of all new HIV infections occurring in young people ages 15-24, students need the skills to participate in what is increasingly their fight: the fight against the worldwide AIDS pandemic. In this session, we present a reproducible model for training high school, undergraduate, and graduate students as HIV/AIDS activists. Over the last two years, the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) has successfully grown into the largest network of student HIV/AIDS activists in the country. By mobilizing students around the core advocacy goals of increased funding to the Global Fund, access to treatment, and elimination of developing-world debt, the SGAC has built a framework for education and political activism that has led to both change of risky behavior among participants as well as political successes. Students at over 200 schools and universities have implemented this model on their own campuses and are taught a variety of advocacy skills that then are applied to a defined objective or piece of legislation. Since 2001, this strategy has engaged more than 1000 SGAC chapter leaders, and ten thousand other students. In addition to presenting the SGAC model, we will show how to implement the model, how to adapt it to particular school sizes and settings, and how to evaluate its impact.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Articulate a model for training student HIV/AIDS activists.
• Implement a system of regional and national conferences and support from the national. campaign coordinators and regional organizers.
• Develop 4-5 strategies for mobilizing local, regional, or national student HIV/AIDS activism.
• Develop 2-3 coalition-building strategies that will be useful for both training and implementing advocacy.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Advocacy

Related Web page: www.fightglobalaids.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.