Creative curriculum expands opportunities to ‘see public health in action’

La Salle University leaders are taking clever steps to elevate the school’s Public Health programs, flexing their creative muscle to offer students innovative ways to engage in live learning labs where they can serve diverse communities and gain expertise in real-world settings that shape their future. These initiatives complement the program which is rooted in the belief that the health and safety of the community is fundamental to the welfare of its citizens.

“We strive to provide creative programs by bringing in experts from a variety of different fields to provide activities such as panel discussions, tours, and opportunities for students to get out of the classroom and see public health in action,” said Candace Robertson-James, DrPH, associate professor and director of Public Health Programs at La Salle University.

Current Public Health program priorities include providing a strong curriculum so that the growing enrollment of students can pursue their chosen disciplines, achieve impactful experiences and enhance learning to reach their goals, Robertson-James said.

She and her fellow faculty members also want to boost the visibility of the Public Health program locally and regionally and form new partnerships to build on initiatives featuring experiential learning.

Last summer, La Salle’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences partnered with the organization Therapy Abroad to offer eight students, some from the Public Health program, an opportunity to travel to Belize, a country in Central America. The students learned about the Belizean culture and healthcare system and deepened their appreciation for and understanding of the community led efforts to address public health challenges.

Operating out of their comfort zones left the students “wanting to accomplish more” and they took part in outreach activities that increased their knowledge, experience and confidence, Robertson-James said.

Another recent collaboration allowed La Salle Public Health students to evaluate GoStrong Fitness, a fitness organization developing mindfulness and movement programs for schools in New Jersey. The students knew that their direct work (versus textbook hypotheticals) could help other entities, and they set out to do an especially excellent job given the higher stakes, Robertson-James said.

More traditional internships are also available to undergraduate students such as immersing them in an organization for a semester or academic year. In addition, La Salle offers an accelerated Public Health program for students to complete both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years. It allows students to earn a bachelor’s in Public Health and Master of Public Health, preparing them for professional roles in fields including informatics, communications, emergency management, environmental health, epidemiology and research, global health, and public policy and administration.

In Robertson-James’ view, the public health field will continue to attract significant interest even as debates on the future of U.S. health care continue across our nation. This is because of the opportunities that public health challenges offer to make an impact on a global scale.

“For me, I really enjoy working with our students and love when they have those aha moments,” said Robertson-James, a native of Philadelphia who received her doctorate in public health from Drexel University School of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from MCP Hahnemann University (now Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University) and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Villanova University.

Prior to joining La Salle, Robertson-James served as an assistant professor, research manager of the Women’s Health Education Program, and associate director of the Office of Urban Health Equity, Education and Research at the Drexel University College of Medicine. She has also served as adjunct faculty for Eastern University, La Salle University, and Drexel University.

Robertson-James’ public health training and strong local community connections should be a boon to efforts to expand awareness of the University’s evolving syllabus and secure its future as a premier Public Health Program that is useful, relevant and makes a difference.

-Trish Gilmartin Williams