D3. Roundtable: Co-Designing the Future: Engagement and Leadership in Health Education
D3.01 - Roundtable: Strengthening Community Partner Opportunities: Community-engagement in a Public Health Education Degree Program
Thursday, April 23, 2026
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM PST
Location: Galleria, Ballroom Level
Area of Responsibility: Area VII: Leadership and Management Keywords: Career Development and Professional Preparation@@@Partnerships and Coalitions@@@Workforce Development, Subcompetencies: 7.1 Coordinate relationships with partners and stakeholders (e.g., individuals, teams, coalitions, and committees)., 7.2 Prepare others to provide health education and promotion. Research or Practice: Practice
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Participants will be able to identify strategies to coordinate and strengthen community partnerships to enhance undergraduate student and organizational capacity for health education.
Participants will be able to discuss approaches for creating mutually beneficial partnerships that align student learning outcomes with community health priorities to apply in their own organizations or communities.
Participants will be able to address how community feedback can inform curricular and experiential learning enhancements to improve students' readiness for professional practice in health education and promotion.
Brief Abstract Summary: Learn how UNC Greensboro’s Public Health Education department is advancing community engagement through a feedback-driven initiative informed by students, faculty, and community partners. This presentation highlights the planning, implementation, and evaluation of new strategies designed to deepen relationships, enhance experiential learning, and promote health equity. Attendees will explore how degree program review and stakeholder input led to expanded internship requirements, community-based learning projects, and networking opportunities. The session will share lessons learned in navigating institutional barriers, sustaining partnerships, and measuring impact through mixed-method evaluation. Participants will gain practical insights into building inclusive, equity-centered community engagement frameworks that strengthen public health education and community well-being.
Detailed abstract description: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Public Health Education department is transforming its approach to community partnerships through a collaborative, feedback-driven initiative. In response to input from students, faculty, and community partners, the department launched a series of community engagement opportunities designed to deepen relationships, enhance experiential learning, and promote health equity across diverse populations.
This presentation will explore the planning, implementation, and evaluation of these initiatives, highlighting how feedback mechanisms and a degree program review informed the design and fostered more inclusive partnerships. Attendees will learn how to identify gaps in student community engagement opportunities and how to co-create solutions with community partners, faculty, and students. The initiatives include community-based learning projects, community partner networking opportunities with students and faculty, and expanded internship requirements to better meet community partner needs.
This session will showcase how intentional engagement strategies can empower students, elevate community partner voices, and overall strengthen the public health education degree program at UNCG. The presentation will also share lessons learned in navigating institutional/programmatic barriers, sustaining partnerships, and measuring impact through mixed-method evaluation.
Participants will gain actionable insights into creating responsive, equity-centered community engagement frameworks that reflect the values of public health education and promote long-term community well-being.
