Columbia 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 Billions of dollars in public health funding have been cut, crucial laws have been revoked–yet public health students aren’t always taught skills to make real policy change. Until now.
The 140,000+ public health students enrolled today 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, engaging video, interactive exercises, and hands-on, real-life assignments, this self-paced, free, Massive Open Online Course teaches every trick in the book to create policy change, including:
- 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 a policy issue and the target for your campaign
- Power mapping, strategy, and tactics
- Coalition-building, communication, and movement-building
- Lobbying, legislative action, and appropriations
- Election campaigns, voting, and running for office
- Administrative advocacy and petitions
- Boycotts
- Lawsuits and impact litigation
- Direct action
Expert speakers include:
- Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who discovered and spoke out about the Flint, Michigan water crisis
- Terry McGovern, AIDS activist and lawyer, who led a successful class action to gain recognition for women to receive HIV/AIDS diagnoses
- Peggy Shepard, founder of West Harlem Environmental Action, who succeeded in turning NYC’s bus fleet hybrid electric
- Dr. Bob Fullilove, civil rights activist from Mississippi Freedom Summer
- Ross Frommer, expert health lobbyist
- Dr. Michelle Au, public health graduate and elected official
- And many more
The course is launching in November 2023! Sign up to be notified when the course launches: