Preparing Learners for Community-Engaged Public Health Practice

Abstract

Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities in which they live. As such, community health assessment and engagement are critical elements that Master of Public Health (MPH) students must learn. Even so, those with graduate public health degrees often lack the ability to engage in this foundational aspect of public health practice. The purpose of this paper is to describe a curricular model that utilizes didactic preparation along with the collaboration of community-academic partners (CAPs) in a service-learning format to prepare MPH students for successful community assessment and engagement. In addition to enhancing the learning experience for students, this curricular approach assures meaningful engagement which benefits communities, especially those which are underserved. The relationships established through the implementation of this model were critical in the COVID-19 community response.