Help Build the Public Health Workforce & Bolster Community Power

Communities around the world are experiencing immense public health challenges and inequities: food insecurity; the overdose epidemic; limited access to mental health and health care; attacks on?reproductive care; the escalating impacts of climate change;?and more. Public health heroes are working every day to meet these challenges head-on, but now, more than ever,?we need to invest in building a larger, stronger and more?diverse public health workforce.

When health and public health professionals look like and come from the communities they serve, patients receive better care and experience better health outcomes. Working in partnership with CBOs, health departments, funders, schools, governments and more, PHI is creating a pathway of dedicated public health professionals in California, across the United States and around the world—finding creative ways to bring those traditionally overlooked in public health careers into the workforce with meaningful salaries and effective training, helping to create sustainable, local expertise and ultimately improve health for communities worldwide.?Together, we’re building the public health workforce of tomorrow and bolstering community power today.?

Now is the time to strengthen these successes, to ensure that no community falls behind.?Donate today to PHI →

Building a Stronger, More Diverse Public Health Workforce for Tomorrow, Today

This giving season, we're highlighting how PHI advances sustained investments in communities, health and equity, and policy change to support them—centering on needs, experiences and ideas put forward by those who are most impacted. Today, we're sharing a sampling of our work alongside communities to?invest in, redefine and recognize the public health workforce, so that public health leaders?represent the communities they serve—and communities see themselves within public health infrastructure and leadership:

Together Toward Equity: New Fellowship Invests in Local Leaders & CBOs

This year, PHI launched our new Together Toward Equity Fellowship to strengthen?community leadership and organizational impact?by investing?in an effective, sustainable and equity-focused public health infrastructure for the future. The program provides a dynamic, year-long learning experience for fifteen individuals working in nine California counties, selected from community-based organizations across the state. Fellows will meet regularly as a learning cohort, receive coaching from experts in the field, and advance projects that elevate their?skills.?By recognizing community organizations as trusted, equal partners, and building sustainable leadership within them, we can?impact the root causes of long-term, systemic inequities. Donate to the Together Toward Equity Fellowship?→

Launching the Next Generation of Health & Medical Leaders

PHI's FACES for the Future?FACES supports young people from low-income communities and communities of color to?have the confidence, skills and support necessary to pursue careers in public health, medicine and related fields.?Since launching in 2000, FACES has served over 1,800 students across California and expanded nationally to Colorado, Michigan and New Mexico. 100% of FACES participants graduate from high school, and over 90%?continue directly to a post-secondary pathway. In recent years, FACES has also pivoted to train?youth participants in how to stop and prevent overdoses, and act as COVID vaccine ambassadors for their peers, families and communities. Donate to the FACES for the Future Coalition?→

Investing in Local Leaders for Global Gender Equity

PHI’s Rise Up works around the world to build?power with local community leaders to advance gender equity in health, education and economic opportunity. Since 2009, Rise Up’s powerful network of 800 leaders has successfully advocated for over 185 new and improved laws and policies, positively impacting more than 160 million people around the world. A recent external evaluation found that?90% of participant Leaders?said that Rise Up helped them develop essential advocacy and leadership skills. The report also emphasizes the importance of recognizing?community leaders as?the strategists and experienced professionals that they are, not simply as grantees whose capacity needs to be built. Donate to Rise Up?→

Diversifying the Global Public Health Workforce

PHI's Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) is a five-year USAID-funded Fellowship that builds?the capacity of global health professionals and organizations?to make inclusive, collaborative?and innovative contributions to today's most pressing health challenges, including malaria, COVID, TB, gender inequities and more. Fellows work?with Ministries of Health, private companies, NGOs?and academic institutions, while participating?in customized learning and mentoring to enhance their knowledge and skills. STAR prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and has incorporated “masked recruitment” to address?unconscious biases in the hiring process—resulting in significant increases in diversity among hires. Donate to STAR?→

Support Our Work

Now, more than ever, we need policies and investments to build health, equity and community power. Donate today to help us build a healthier world for tomorrow.

This article is a version of our recent PHI newsletter. To receive PHI updates directly in your inbox, sign up here . You can also opt in to receive our additional mailings, including our Job Alerts, Dialogue4Health Web Forum announcements and more.