Deadline: June 15, 2021
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and Lead For America (LFA) recently announced the creation of a new program for young leaders to help bolster our nation’s public health infrastructure and build healthy and resilient communities. The program, Public Health Equity Corps, will aim to strengthen state health agency efforts with a particular immediate focus on equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
The Public Health Equity Corps, led in conjunction with LFA’s national fellowship program and supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will select eight fellows for a two-year, full-time fellowship. Fellows will be immersed in real-life public health challenges and work alongside community leaders (e.g., government, health, advocacy groups, community) to tackle them head on.
The effort will span across eight states, to include Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming. Each fellow will work on projects of critical importance to the host department, from supporting equitable vaccine distribution to underserved populations in Wyoming, to amplifying community engagement practices in North Carolina, and strengthening every state’s ability to equitably serve all residents.
“Young people have a critical role to play—both in supporting the immediate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and in setting up their communities for long-term public health resiliency,” says Joe Nail, chief executive officer of Lead For America. “We are honored to be partnering with ASTHO in deploying a cohort of outstanding fellows to their home state health departments. Through our National Hometown Fellowship, fellows will have access to top-notch training on community development and public health, and will join a national network of leaders working to address the critical challenges of our time.”
“COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of leadership, and the importance of community engagement,” says ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser. “These fellows will complement existing public health assets in states and help build a group of young leaders to take public health to the next level in future efforts.”
View information and apply online here: https://www.lead4america.org/public-health-equity-corps