Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Public Health Education is to promote health by supporting the learning, decision-making and capacity of individuals, groups, and communities. In collaboration with community organizations, the Department prepares professional health educators and advances public health practice and knowledge.
What does that look like?
Our department:
- Works with communities to connect refugees with vaccines and other resources.
- Work to develop intervention programs with community partners to address violence and promote healing.
- Studies ways to increase access to breast cancer treatment for Black women and disparities in cardiovascular health in Latinx populations.
- Develops and implement programs to help college athletes avoid substance abuse, and increase concussion reporting among coaches.
- Approaches public health using a strong social justice and health equity lens that informs our curriculum, guides our research, and influences our collaborative efforts.
Our students participate in:
- Internships
- Research
- Community-engaged projects
- Various professional development opportunities, including conferences and research showcases
The Department of Public Health Education is affiliated with the Center for Athlete Well-being, the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, and Healthy UNCG, all of which offer unique opportunities for student involvement. PHE faculty are known for their expertise in racial health disparities, reproductive justice, youth- and collegiate athlete well-being, and community-engaged scholarship. Demand for PHE graduates is high, and they are prepared to pursue a multitude of exciting career avenues in settings such as local or state health departments, community health outreach, medical facilities, employee wellness, nonprofits, private practice (e.g., as a health coach or health education specialist), advocacy, education, government, and sports.
These, and many other examples, are the ways public health and health education specialists empower individuals to make healthy changes in their everyday lives, or advocate for social changes that improve health equity for our communities.