Online Program

282027
Boston university school of public health "spotlight series": An innovative, interdisciplinary approach to education, research, and practice


Monday, November 4, 2013

Laura Rabin, Public Health Practice Office, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
BUSPH has embarked on a new school-wide program to "spotlight” a timely and critical public health issue over the course of two years. The first topic for this series is obesity, which will be examined through an interdisciplinary series of education, research, and community engagement activities. This method has several benefits. Students will learn about obesity through the perspectives taught in the eight core concentrations at BUSPH, emphasizing the interconnectedness among the concentrations. It also allows students to apply the core functions of public health (assessment, policy, assurance) to the identified problem. Since the September launch of “Spotlight on Obesity,” BUSPH has presented interactive case studies, lectures, films, and student-centered projects to spur critical analysis and discussion through a public health lens. In addition to academic and research driven activities, “Spotlight” features a range of opportunities to apply public health principles and engage with the local community to address the problem of obesity. Through one of these community projects, students work in cross-disciplinary teams to conduct an assessment and design a survey tool to address the high rates of obesity in the area surrounding a local community center. Additional opportunities for experiential learning include practicum projects and obesity prevention activities with local public schools and agencies, including Mayor Menino's “Boston Move for Health” city-wide initiative. The Spotlight Series model represents an innovative approach to practice-based learning and academic/community partnerships. The proposed session will discuss the project and reveal the results of evaluation of the method.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Discuss innovative, interdisciplinary methods for teaching public health principles through academic, research, and practice activities. Identify opportunities to expand academic/community partnerships through practice-based learning.

Keyword(s): Public Health Education and Health Promotion, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the project lead for the Boston University School of Public Health "Spotlight on Obesity" program since its inception in July 2012. I've been a program manager in the BUSPH Office of Public Health Practice for more than 4 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.