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Poster Presentation

Policy and Advocacy

Thursday Poster Power Hour

THURS-007 - From Social Justice Movements to Advocacy and Health Policy: An Undergraduate Cross-course Educational Experience

Thursday, April 23, 2026

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST

Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level

Area of Responsibility: Area V: Advocacy
Keywords: Advocacy@@@Career Development and Professional Preparation@@@Workforce Development, Subcompetencies: 5.1.1 Examine the determinants of health and their underlying causes (e.g., poverty, trauma, and population-based discrimination) related to identifie, 5.1.2 Examine evidence-informed findings related to identified health issues and desired changes.
Research or Practice: Practice

Poster Presenter(s)

Anthony Lacina, DHSc, MPH, MEd, CHES (he/him/his)

Assistant Professor of Health Sciences & Director of Health Sciences Programs
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Describe an undergraduate cross-course collaboration that examines the determinants of health and underlying causes related to social justice movements in the U.S. and potential policy proposals to mitigate future injustices.
Articulate the confidence students have to engage in advocacy after working on a project that relates health issues and desired changes within a given community through evidence-based and peer-reviewed sources.
Detail the planning process and recommendations to replicate a cross-course collaboration for two undergraduate classes in different disciplines and student academic preparation.

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn about an innovative collaboration involved a culminating course for Health Sciences students studying health promotion (Health Sciences Capstone), and a social sciences elective (Social Justice Movements in the U.S.), typically taken by 1st and 2nd year students.

Discover educational design and methods that encourage student exploration of social justice movements and self-efficacy to make community changes.

Listen to lessons learned about developing a cross-course collaborative project that aims to provide both, public health skills and career-readiness skills.

Detailed abstract description:

Background: For the second year in a row, we implemented a cross-course collaboration that exposed students to the connection of historical social justice movements to forward-looking applications in health advocacy and policy. This collaboration involved a culminating course for Health Sciences students studying health promotion (Health Sciences Capstone), and a social sciences elective (Social Justice Movements in the U.S.), typically taken by 1st and 2nd year students.

Methods: Students were placed in cross-course groups that served as consultants on a semester-long project. Tasks were exchanged between courses, requiring students to research movement history, identify key players and defining moments, analyze present-day impacts, and propose policy recommendations and advocacy plans. Students shared their findings both face-to-face and electronically through professional reports and correspondence. At the end of the semester, students answered an IRB-approved qualitative survey on their experience.

Results: Students reported that the collaboration deepened their understanding of health promotion concepts, determinants of health, and avenues for advocacy. They also reported gains in career-readiness skills (collaboration, team-based communication, leadership and teamwork, time management). While the intended near-peer model of mentorship between the upper-class Capstone students and social science elective students did not fully meet its goals, students provided valuable feedback to guide the next iteration.