THURS-066 - From the Classroom to the Community: Cultivating Public Health Leadership Through Women’s Health Education

Brief Abstract Summary: This presentation explores the redesign and implementation of HLTH 3002: Women’s Health Across the Lifespan at East Carolina University. The course was restructured to integrate leadership theory, systems thinking, and advocacy, equipping students to address women’s health disparities both locally and globally. The curriculum now includes modules on leadership, communication, and public health advocacy. A study is currently underway to evaluate the impact of the redesigned course on students’ leadership development and public health competencies. The study will assess changes in students’ confidence and competence across leadership domains. This presentation will share the study design, theoretical framework, and anticipated outcomes. The study offers a model for transforming undergraduate education. Attendees will gain insights into the course design process, strategies for integrating leadership, and considerations for scaling similar innovations across institutions.

Detailed abstract description: Women’s health remains one of the most pressing and complex areas in public health, shaped by intersecting social, economic, and systemic inequities. Addressing these challenges requires more than clinical knowledge; it demands bold, ethical, and informed leadership. Yet, leadership development is often underemphasized in undergraduate public health education, especially in courses focused on gender and health equity. This session offers a timely and practical look at how one undergraduate course, HLTH 3002: Women’s Health Across the Lifespan at East Carolina University, was redesigned over Summer 2025 to meet that need. Grounded in the local health context of Eastern North Carolina and supported by the Truist Leadership Center and the Office for Faculty Excellence, the course now integrates leadership theory, systems thinking, and advocacy into its core curriculum. The goal is to prepare students not only to understand women’s health disparities, but to lead efforts to address them both locally and globally as they move forward as emerging professionals. Attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes look at the course redesign process, including how leadership competencies were embedded into content, assignments, and experiential learning opportunities. The session will also introduce an research study currently underway, which uses pre- and post-course surveys to assess changes in students’ leadership confidence and public health competence. While final data is still being collected, the presentation will share the study design, theoretical framework, and early insights based on student engagement and course outcomes to date. Undergraduate students are not just learners—they are the next generation of public health leaders. By equipping them early with the tools to think critically, lead ethically, and advocate effectively, we lay the foundation for a more equitable and responsive public health workforce. This course redesign demonstrates how even a single class can spark transformation, empowering students to see themselves as agents of change in their communities and beyond. Whether you’re a faculty member, curriculum designer, or public health practitioner, this session will equip you with actionable strategies for integrating leadership into health education. You’ll leave with a replicable model for curriculum transformation, ideas for aligning course content with institutional and community priorities, and inspiration to cultivate the next generation of public health leaders, starting in your own classroom.