By April Allgrove
Third Year MPH student
The 15th Annual Health Advocacy Summit, sponsored by the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations, was an incredible educational and professional experience. Earlier this month, I was fortunate to attend the training this year in Washington, D.C. I highly recommend this opportunity for any students or professionals interested in health policy or in learning how to advocate for public health issues.
The three-day training in the nation's capitol offers sessions on beginning, intermediate, and advanced advocacy training. It also has informational sessions on the specific health issues the group will advocate for (this year's priority issues can be found here), and preparation and guidance for real visits with members of Congress and their staff members on Capitol Hill. The training sessions were all presented by highly regarded health education professionals, experienced lobbyists, and even former Congress staffers, who offered insight, recommendations, and critical information in successfully advocating for public health issues.
This training and our visits on Capitol Hill incorporated elements from all of our MPH courses; epidemiology, advocacy, storytelling, policy analysis, social justice, health education, and even the 5 minute elevator pitch we had to practice in HS 262! The practical application of the education and skills in the MPH program was extremely exciting, and advocating at a federal level, while it was challenging, was very rewarding and meaningful.
I strongly encourage anyone - students or professionals - who is interested in this level of advocacy to check out more information on SOPHE's website and to attend next year's summit. It is a unique opportunity to apply our education and skills, and to finally act and employ our active voices to advocate for real public health issues.
