The Activist Lab and the MOULA Program.

Abstract

The Activist Lab at the University of South Florida College of Public Health is an exciting initiative that serves to build interdisciplinary advocacy and leadership skills for public health students and the community. The Lab is led by a very active student advisory group that with the Director develops the advocacy strategies and focus areas for change. The Activist Lab's More Opportunities to Use Learned Advocacy, or MOULA program, allows students to work side by side with local agencies to support their advocacy efforts. A recent student works with the local Guardian ad Litem program to determine needs and services for children in the foster care system who have also been trafficked. The student is working with attorneys, social workers, families, advocates, and others so that the best needs of the children are met. Students must apply and be selected for the MOULA program based on their responses as to how they could meet the agency's needs. The best responses and matches with the agencies are then determined. Students who participate in MOULA do midyear and final-year reports, evaluate their experiences, are evaluated by the agency mentor, develop a presentation on their experiences, and are interviewed on one of the Activist Lab podcast episodes. The Activist Lab and initiatives such as MOULA provide an opportunity for students to learn and advance critical public health advocacy skills and will help strengthen these skills for future success.