5 ways to get involved in public health

Whether it’s to improve the health of your community, or to increase your knowledge and awareness, there are many ways you can celebrate National Public Health Week April 2-8. Here are five ways you can get more involved in the public health arena.

Volunteer

Get a group of friends together and volunteer at a local soup kitchen, food bank or shelter. Organizations like these truly need all the hands they can get and will appreciate your support. It is also an opportunity to learn about health disparities in your community while helping to improve them.

Be an advocate

Health topics are constantly in the news. Look to see what your elected representatives are voting on, then call or write them to voice your support or concern! Don’t be shy — they want to know what you think, and you can become an advocate for an issue you care about.

Stay in the know

Keep up to date on news in the public health world! The American Public Health Association and other public health organizations typically have multiple social media platforms making it easy to stay current.

Network

Often the best way to find out how you can get more involved is to just ask. Research an organization and set up an informational interview with a public health professional. It’s likely they were once in your position, trying to find out how to be more involved in their field. Ask how they got started, what they love about public health and what goals they would like to see achieved!

Find a job or internship

If you’re looking at possibly making public health a career, look for an internship or entry-level position at an organization or agency you’re interested in. This is a great way to get your foot in the door, as well as help you to discover what aspects of public health you really enjoy and might want to learn more about.

— By Amanda Litty