Research service learning to enhance practical public health learning

The Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) is an organization for graduate students at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Based on recommendations from “Who Will Keep the Public Healthy” report (IOM, 2003), PHAST seeks to strengthen public health education, research and practice by providing hands-on activities for students. PHAST uses a community-based research approach to generate service learning opportunities at supervised sites with organizations in Mississippi and Texas to advance student learning for community engagement. Since 2006, PHAST has developed and refined one-week field experiences in Mississippi and Texas to provide on the ground public health experiences that are beneficial to partnering organizations and students. PHAST works with academic institutions, community-based organizations and local health departments that lack resources to implement research. The goal of the research is to improve programs that will promote health; while enhancing student learning by exploring processes for working with and in communities. The two regions expose students to public health in very different contexts. In Mississippi, students work with organizations in either rural or post-disaster areas. In Texas, students experience the complexities of public health on the US/Mexico border. Students exploring the two regions gain practical knowledge in the complexity of community engagement based on regional and cultural dynamics. This presentation will describe community-based research service learning experiences, student-learning outcomes, benefits to the organizations, and lessons learned for replication.