Originally published August 2021
This summer, the SPHHS Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER) launched the Public Health Equity Summer Enrichment Program, a public health careers exploration program for rising 7th – 10th graders from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Funded in part with the generous support of an alumni donor, the program aims to encourage interest and eventual entrance into the undergraduate program in public health sciences at UMass Amherst, building a pipeline for future leaders in public health practice, policy and research.
“We developed the program in an effort to help address health disparities by diversifying the public health professional workforce,” says Brenda Evans, community research liaison for CCHER. “This program aims to encourage students from underrepresented groups to explore public health careers and higher education.”
The summer 2021 program was held at the UMass Amherst Center in Springfield and included thirteen 7th – 10th grade students from Springfield, Mass. Students received stipends for their participation as they discovered the foundations of public health, nutrition, epidemiology, and health promotion and policy with core and affiliate CCHER faculty in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.
“I learned how to advocate and teach others about public health, develop public speaking skills, and explore creative writing and research career choices,” says Soraya, a rising 7th grader who participated in the program and whose mother also completed a health careers program as a high school student with Evans.
This year’s students used Photovoice – a form of Youth Participatory Action Research in which participants take photos and assemble them with text describing the images – to document assets and challenges in their communities. This activity culminated in a final presentation to parents, instructors, and community members.
"I learned what is safe and unsafe in my community,” adds Soraya. “There are a lot of ways I can continue to keep the streets clean and safe by advocating and telling others to look at the wonderful things that are in our community and help find different ways to keep it safe. I also learned that people are polluting our community, which could affect our health. We need to tell others that our health is at risk when we pollute our city."
CCHER is pursuing funding to continue to implement this program in future years.
“I have developed and implemented healthcare workforce programs for underrepresented populations for 20 years,” says Evans. “Research has confirmed that programs such as these are impactful.”
With a second generation of Springfield youth now taking part in health careers programs led by Evans and potentially following in their parents’ footsteps as health care professionals, the success of the programs is clear.