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ColumbiaX: Public Health Advocacy Academy

Public health is under attack. Billions of dollars in public health funding have been cut, crucial laws have been revoked–yet public health students aren’t always taught how to understand and create policy change. Until now! Learn every public health advocacy strategy and tactic from seventeen engaging, expert speakers and over twenty real-life examples.

12 weeks
1–2 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Access to course at no cost

There is one session available:

After a course session ends, it will be archivedOpens in a new tab.
Starts May 17
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Public Health Advocacy Academy

About this course

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Public health students across the country are incredibly qualified to be powerful advocates, but they often don’t have training to turn research and evidence into law, policy, and funding. Using real-life public health examples, this course teaches every tactic in the book to create change.

Expert speakers include:

  • Flint, Michigan’s water crisis advocate Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH

  • AIDS activist and lawyer, who led a successful class action to gain recognition for women to receive HIV/AIDS diagnoses, Terry McGovern, JD

  • Founder of West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT), who succeeded in turning NYC’s bus fleet hybrid electric, Peggy Shepard

  • Civil rights activist from Mississippi Freedom Summer, Bob Fullilove, EdD

  • Expert health lobbyist, Ross Frommer, JD

  • Public health graduate and elected official, Michelle Au, MD, MPH

  • And many more

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English

What you'll learn

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  • Why advocacy is a core competency for all public health professionals, and why public health students are needed to do it

  • How to identify and research policy issues and the target for your campaign

  • Public health strategy and tactics

  • Power mapping

  • Coalition-building, communication, and movement-building

  • Lobbying, legislative action, and appropriations

  • Leading election campaigns, voting, and running for office

  • Implementing administrative advocacy and petitions

  • Organizing boycotts

  • Filing lawsuits and impact litigation

  • Taking direct action

Syllabus

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The course will be structured with 5 modules. The course should take approximately 15 hours for learners to complete. The short structure and low cognitive load is intentional; though the course includes some theory, the key purpose of the course is highly pragmatic and action-oriented, and is designed to quickly prepare learners to confidently speak to elected officials and design advocacy campaigns.

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