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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Susan B. Sorenson, PhD, Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 C.E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 310-825-8749, sorenson@ucla.edu, Lori Dorfman, DrPH, Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2140 Shattuck, Suite 804, Berkeley, CA 94704, and Lawrence Wallack, DrPH, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207.

Schools of Public Health across the nation train masters degree students for positions in community-based organizations and government agencies. The Schools teach research and intervention quite well but generally lack systematic training in social advocacy despite the fact that advocacy is a central process in translating science into public policy. Coordinated curriculum development is a first step in addressing educational need. In recognition of this curricular gap in many Schools of Public Health, we are developing a curriculum, tentatively titled Social Change for the Public's Health. Three sets of stakeholders will participate in this process in the first six months of 2006 – a group of highly qualified faculty who are interested in the role of advocacy in public health, public health graduates who are engaged in social advocacy, and “end users” of our educational “products”, that is, a group of individuals from public health advocacy organizations – each will uniquely inform these efforts. We will draft the curriculum, which will be reviewed by the various participants and other stakeholders, with sufficient flexibility so it can be used in a variety of university settings. Multiple dissemination efforts have been identified to increase the likelihood that the curriculum will be adapted and adopted in multiple Schools of Public Health. Social advocacy is central to the mission of public health and a significant responsibility for public health professionals. Through this effort we will help Schools of Public Health train their students to meet that responsibility.

Learning Objectives: Participants attending this session will be able to

• identify the need for a course on social and policy advocacy in Schools of Public Health.
• identify various stakeholders in public health education and their participation in this effort.
• articulate how the course curriculum can be adapted for use at universities with differing needs.

Keywords: Education, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation