By Brianna Heinken – President
Brianna highlights the valuable and diverse forms of youth leadership in public health and how young people can get involved in organisations like Strive.
Although young people are a common target for health literacy interventions, they are not often regarded as having the potential to be change-makers and leaders in creating healthier communities. However, youth across the world are increasingly getting involved in grassroots initiatives to positively contribute to public health campaigns. They are proving to be catalysts for change in their community and provide much needed optimism, enthusiasm, and creativity in developing interventions to address public health challenges.
Getting involved in public health efforts will be one of the most rewarding decisions you ever make. Your experience in public health will allow you to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and to meet other like-minded individuals. There are enormous opportunities available in public health for young people that cover a range of subject areas and disciplines, from vaccine equity to the co-benefits of climate change action. In addition, the public health sector is a great way to apply your conceptual learning from university to real initiatives that have the potential to change the lives of people around the world.
Characteristics of Individuals in Public Health
Three characteristics are important for individuals who are looking to get involved in public health – creativity, commitment, and collaboration.
Creativity
Tackling prominent challenges in public health requires creativity in program development and delivery. Success in public health campaigns relies on an innovative approach to combine a range of key disciplines into a multidisciplinary approach to program delivery. In addition, with current public health concerns becoming increasingly challenging to address, there is a need for innovation across the field of public health. Creativity is required at every level of a public health intervention to develop new ideas for solving complex problems. Creative approaches are needed in public health campaigns to formulate new project ideas, re-invent existing programs, and boost engagement with health interventions. In addition, with limited funding in the public health space, creativity and innovative methods are also required to stretch the value of each dollar a program receives.
Commitment
Working in public health requires a strong commitment to persevere in the face of challenges. There are many challenges to successfully implementing a public health intervention and perseverance is important when things get tough. For example, funding for public health projects is limited and the application process can be highly competitive and difficult. Public health interventions are also limited by a lack of information or definitive research in specific disciplines. In addition to challenges faced by public health interventions, individuals will need perseverance through times when it seems as if no progress has been made. Although it may seem like nothing is happening, it is important to believe in your program and continue working towards making it a success.
Collaboration
Prioritising strong collaboration between a range of disciplines, sectors, and industries is required to address current and future public health issues. Working together and combining talents allows teams to take a multidisciplinary approach to effectively achieve positive health outcomes. Collaboration across disciplines in healthcare, such as medicine, allied health, public health, and environmental health, is important to develop an evidence-based and unified approach to public health interventions. In addition, non-health fields are fundamental to providing the backbone and inner workings of global health programs. Disciplines such as marketing, finance, technology, and public policy are critical to ensure the success of a project. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of collaboration across all sectors of society in approaching public health concerns.
Getting Involved in Global Health
Young people are going to be responsible for shaping our health systems in the future and contributing at every level of global health. As future global health leaders, don’t be afraid to explore your passions, identify shortcomings, and lead change through innovation. There are many ways to get involved in public health for those who are interested, including student societies, formal education, and community programs.
For young people still at university, join or create your own student society! Universities contain some of the most passionate public health advocates and inspired leaders who can work together to make a big impact in their communities. A student society or club gives like-minded individuals the opportunity to connect and explore activities related to a common interest. In addition, some universities fund their student societies which may help get your project off the ground!
Furthering your education is another great way to get involved in public health. Undertaking formal education is an established way to expand both your knowledge and skill set in global health. Popular public health-related degrees include the Master of Public Health, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in population health research, and further postgraduate certificates. These programs allow students to dive deeper into understanding and tackle specific public health concerns. In addition, public health journals, books, and podcasts can give a glimpse into various topics in public health. These publications give information in a bite-size and engaging format to expand your knowledge of a range of public health topics. If you’re looking for a podcast to listen to, Public Health On Call is a great place to start. If you’re looking for insightful and student-written public health articles, you are in the right place! Regimen: Striving for Global Health covers a range of topics from the perspective of student leaders.
Another great public health opportunity is working with community organisations or government-affiliated programs. This is a great way to meet new people, gain some work or volunteer experience, and raise awareness for global health issues. Opportunities are promoted through local government and health promotion organisations, local public health units, primary health networks, university health programs, and other noticeboards. VicHealth, the Victorian Department of Health, and the Public Health Association of Australia are great places to start.
A Youth-led Organisation: Strive Student Health Initiative
Joining a youth-led initiative allows individuals to connect and engage with their peers to tackle current and future public health challenges. These initiatives aim to empower future healthcare leaders while assisting those in need. There are many opportunities for young people to get involved with public health in their community. For students located in Melbourne, Strive Student Health Initiative offers a wide range of opportunities to be involved in meaningful volunteer work in the public health sector alongside like-minded peers.
Strive Student Health Initiative (Strive) is a not-for-profit organisation working to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable populations across Melbourne and empower these communities through health education. It is a place where students from different disciplines collaborate to create positive health impacts in the community and an opportunity for future healthcare professionals to gain experience in engaging initiatives. Strive runs two main outreach branches: Community Engagement and Clinic. Each branch contains many sub-programs, including:
Healthy Eating Workshops
Strive’s Healthy Eating Workshop aims to improve the accessibility of nutrition education in kindergartens and primary schools by teaching children healthy eating habits. The workshop features our storybook: “The Adventures of Jack and His Friendly Foods,” with an accompanying “Parents’ Guide to Healthy Eating” to encourage healthy food choices and promote positive associations with fruits and vegetables.
Health & Hygiene Workshops
Strive’s Health and Hygiene Workshop is intended for students from Years 1-3 (ages 5-8) and is conducted in either a virtual or in-person format. The workshop aims to educate students on hygiene in a post-pandemic world, to prevent communicable disease outbreaks in schools and local communities. We also wish to help build healthy habits into the future, by focusing on the importance of washing hands, showering regularly, proper tooth brushing and flossing, wearing a mask, covering their nose and mouth whilst sneezing, and more.
Physical Activity Workshops
Strive’s Physical Activity Workshop aims to provide primary school students with basic scientific knowledge on the risks of obesity, and the importance of preventing lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes through daily physical activities through an interactive virtual workshop.
Mental Health Workshops
Strive’s Mental Health Workshops aim to address the ways young people can look after and support their mental well-being. These workshops focus on emotional literacy, positive coping strategies, help-seeking, problem-solving, and individual empowerment of students to foster well-being and resilience. There are currently two workshops being offered; one for primary school students and another for high school students.
Global Health Case Competition
Strive’s Global Health Case Competition offers students from all disciplines the opportunity to formulate and present solutions to some of the world’s most pressing global health issues. Our 2021 event invited students to help co-design the University of Melbourne’s mental health initiative, our 2022 event invited students to help co-design the University of Melbourne’s Food Security relief program, and our 2023 event encouraged students to develop an initiative to promote student well-being where the winning team received a significant grant to implement their proposed program.
Publications
Regimen: Striving for Global Health is a university publication that aims to inspire students while empowering them with the knowledge and awareness to contribute positively to global public health. This is achieved through providing access to valuable, engaging, and actionable information in student articles, as well as interviews with compelling individuals and organisations within the public health ecosystem.
Health Outreach Program
The Strive Health Outreach Project is the epitome of what the Strive Clinic aims to provide for disadvantaged communities. Working closely with Avalon Centre – a charity that supports vulnerable members of the community – we have created a walk-in clinic that provides essential health check-ups. Run purely by university healthcare students who have a passion for public health, the Health Outreach Project provides members with blood pressure, height and weight measurements, as well as educating them about healthy eating and general lifestyle improvements. The clinic also provides a wound care service, an issue prevalent amongst the city’s most vulnerable.
CPR Workshops
When done correctly in the right situations, CPR is one of the most effective life-saving procedures the general public can provide. However, it’s a skill that is unfortunately known by too little in the community. The Strive Clinic aims to address this by providing free CPR workshops to the public. We are currently working closely with doctors and experts in cardiology to create a CPR module that can be delivered both in person and remotely to members of our community. We hope this initiative will empower the public to be equipped with basic life support skills, and more importantly, feel confident in administering CPR if the situation arises.
University Engagement & Student Initiatives
Strive aims to create an environment to raise awareness and encourage healthy lifestyles within the campus community, as well as an environment to learn about public health and meet peers who are passionate about similar health topics. Strive runs many university engagement programs, including career development, speaker sessions, healthy activities, MMI workshops, and more!
Final Remarks
With increasing participation in youth-led initiatives and community organisations, young people are taking a prominent role in the public health space. Rather than leaving the work to international charities or multi-million dollar government programs, young people are actively stepping into advocacy and leadership in their redundant communities to create change. Youth advocates are acting as agents of change in the community and foreshadow a brighter future in global health, equity, civic engagement, and social enterprise. They are proof that all it takes to make a difference is one person doing one good thing for the world!
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