Service Learning:

Create a public health service learning opportunity of your own based on the needs of a specific community, and write a 2 to 4 page proposal (1,000 to 2,000 words). You can think of this as a public health intervention program, and the steps of the assignment are as follows:

Step 1: Identify a community that interests you (Example: youth aged 15 to 24 in Maine who smoke); explain why you chose that community (Example: prior to 1997, Maine had one of the highest youth smoking rates in the country); and, describe the specific public health need/public health problem (Example: tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Maine and the nation).

Step 2: Identify the goal(s) of your intervention (Example: preventing youth and young adults from starting to use tobacco, etc.).

You will need at least 2 goals, but no more than 4.

Step 3: Describe the steps (objectives) you would take to achieve the goals of your intervention(s). For example, Educate and build awareness among youth about the dangers of smoking. Determine how you will actually prevent the outcome.

Step 4: Come up with public health interventions (aka activities) (Examples: developing educational materials to be included in the health curriculum in high schools, flyer campaigns, partnering with retailers to help build awareness).

You will need at least 3 interventions, but no more than 5.

Step 5: Describe how you would monitor the effectiveness of your program, and any challenges you anticipate encountering.

(For example: Do quarterly surveys of students to meansure their knowledge and use of tobacco).