Public Health Advocacy
SMYSP developed two resources for high school students to learn about public health advocacy: a teacher-led Public Health Advocacy Curriculum, and a student-led Public Health Advocacy Workshops series. See below for details and a link to the Curriculum and Workshops content. The Curriculum is intended for teachers or other professionals who are interested in teaching public health and health disparities to age-appropriate students. The Workshops may provide a peer-to-peer leadership opportunity for enterprising young students to teach public health to other students.
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Public Health Advocacy Curriculum
The Public Health Advocacy Curriculum is comprised of ten modular lessons that combine classroom- and community-based experiential activities that teach students about the broader context of health and provide opportunities to advocate for improved health conditions in their communities. Through inquiry-based activities and real-world projects, students practice academic skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving) and apply their learning to their personal circumstances.
Initial lessons blend articles, media analysis, debates, and documentary screenings, among other activities, to help students understand upstream or root causes of health. In subsequent lessons students explore their communities using PhotoVoice, mapping, and community inventory research techniques to identify assets and barriers to health. To culminate their learning and observations, small groups of students develop and implement advocacy projects to address meaningful health issues facing their communities. Then, students write a proposal to their local school board, city council, or other organization to suggest population-level and/or policy actions that could be taken to further expand and sustain their advocacy projects.
The curriculum is easily modifiable and adaptable; lessons can be taught independently or collectively and in intact classrooms, after school clubs, health academies, or academic enrichment programs.Public Health Advocacy Workshops
Adapted from the Public Health Advocacy Curriculum, the student-run Public Health Advocacy Workshops is a three part workshop series that helps high school students teach each other about public health. As part of an after school club or elective period, students participate in activities to understand how social, political, and economic factors influence health in addition to individual behavior choices, and conduct a health-related volunteer activity at their school or in their local community.Contact
For additional information, please contact:
Nell Curran, MPH
School Outreach Director
650.498.7194