4. Community Engagement

The School of Public Health and Health Sciences has many active projects within the region, and new faculty members are invited to participate and/or identify new potential projects. The Office for Public Health Practice and Outreach (OPHPO) engages students in practice opportunities, outreach and workforce development. OPHPO facilitates the Western MA Health Equity Network along with trainings and other events to support engagement of SPHHS faculty, staff, and students with area communities. The OPHPO also organizes and co-sponsors the Western Mass Health Equity Summit held bi-annually. The summit brings practitioners and community leaders together to take steps to advance health equity in the region by working, learning, and taking action together. Faculty interested in community engagement regionally, and statewide, should set up a meeting with the director of the Office for Public Health Practice and Outreach, in order to understand the scope of current projects locally, regionally and in the Commonwealth. https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/office-public-health-practice-and-outreach

The Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER) brings together researchers from diverse disciplines with community partners to investigate health disparities and promote health equity. CCHER aims to improve the recruitment and retention of students from under-represented groups in health-related professions and to develop and implement novel interventions to improve health and build community resilience. https://www.umass.edu/health-equity/

SPHHS faculty and staff also conduct research, teaching, and services in communities through center and institutes, including the Institute for Global Health, UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program, and Center for Language, Speech and Hearing. https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/organizations