Introduction to Public Health Careers for Middle and High School Students An ASPH Grant Funded Project: Office of Community Health, Yale School of Public Health in Partnership with Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut Departments of Public Health Mary Ann Booss M.P.H¹, Elaine O’Keefe M.S.², Kathi Traugh, M.P.H.³ 1,2, Yale School of Public Health; 3.Yale Center for Public Health Preparedness BACKGROUND METHODS RESULTS PURPOSE The Office of Community Health, Yale School of Public Health partnered with departments of public health at Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut to: Increase and diversify the public health work force Develop an infrastructure to promote public health careers among middle and high school students in order to diversify Connecticut’s future public health workforce Six school districts with large populations of racial and ethnic minority students were targeted. The Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) Mentoring Registry (public health practitioners from local health departments and other agencies) served as the source of volunteer ambassadors. Ambassadors acted as contacts for targeted schools, informing them about the project, and recruiting internal school champions. A consultant with expertise in school-based health careers programming was hired to develop age-appropriate tool-kits to introduce students to the variety of public health careers. The tool-kits served as a framework to train mentors and school-based champions, who are then expected to utilize the materials in special public health career events or presentations in their designated school(s). Nationally, 1/4 of the public health workforce eligible to retire in 2012 Connecticut (CT) ranks in the bottom third of all states in ratio of public health workers to population served CT has three universities offering the degree of Master of Public Health and one under- graduate degree program CT’s largest cities have significant minority populations CT DPH PERSONNEL STATISTICS OBJECTIVES Average Age46.6 Average Years of Service12.8 Average Age of New Hires 38 Turnover Rate 6.2% Eligible for Retirement in 2010* 33% Source: CT DPH, Human Resources, September, 2008* 1. Increase students' awareness and knowledge of public health careers 2. Recruit and train 15 public health professionals to act as mentors and to identify school champions 3. Develop a toolkit with information and activities for students 4. Train ambassadors to use toolkit in ½ day Train- the-Trainer work shop (2 trainings held) 5. Implement public health career presentations in selected schools in at least 6 school districts 6. Develop a plan for sustainability when the grant ends Middle and High School Students (Ages 10-17) in Connecticut’s Largest Cities Percent FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE More than 25 presentations before more than 600 students and 80 teachers in 8 towns Teachers incorporating public health principles into curriculum through use of the toolkit Presentations at 2 statewide student organizations, and 1 statewide teachers’ organization Exceeded objectives Careers in Public Health Presenter The Public Health Careers Project 2009 Finding the Right Career What is Public Health? What do Public Health Professionals do? Teen Power in Public Health: The Truth Campaign Famous Public Health Volunteers Take a Public Health Career Test Drive: Volunteer Today CT Public Health Ambassador Training Tools to Grow the Next Generation of Public Health Professionals TRAINING TOOL KITS CONCLUSIONS Increased awareness by students and faculty of public health as a career option and of university offerings in-state On-going relationships established between public health professionals and educators in several schools Limitations: School calendars and H1N1 flu outbreak in spring 2009 Sustainability through activities of 3 Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), on-line Mentoring Registry of the CT Public Health Association and dedicated public health professionals ASPH/CDC Pathways to Public Health Grant Mary Ann Booss M.P.H., R.N. 135 College Street, Suite 200 New Haven, CT Phone: (203) DEMOGRAPHIC DATA METHODS