Office of Community & Practice

Public Health In Action

For over 100 years, our faculty and students have advanced disease prevention and health promotion by applying their research in real-world settings. We collaborate with communities locally and globally to improve health through disease surveillance, program evaluation, and outbreak investigation. As public health adapts to evolving threats, changing socio-political landscapes, and scientific advancements, centering our core values of shared humanity in practice and training is essential. We are committed to preparing public health professionals who are technically proficient, culturally responsive, and deeply community-anchored.

Office of Community & Practice

The Office of Community & Practice (OC&P) serves as the central hub for nurturing an interconnected, inclusive community at YSPH, across campus, and beyond, consistent with strategic priority #3. OC&P advances a variety of experiences, expertise, inquiry, and practice with the goal of improving health for all through internal and external-facing work. We support practice-based learning, skill development, internal and external community support, research partnerships, as well as public health workforce education. We foster a culture grounded in mutual respect and shared humanity and engage our faculty, staff, students, and partners locally and globally to make public health foundational to thriving communities everywhere.

Our Core Beliefs and Activities:

• Upholding the principles of academic freedom and open dialogue.
• Attracting and supporting a diverse range of students, faculty, and staff.
• Promoting initiatives that provide multiple viewpoints and build connections within YSPH and beyond.
• Combating any form of coercion, intimidation, and harassment based on identity or status.
• Cultivating the next generation of public health leaders through hands-on learning experiences.
• Building community-centered collaborations to develop optimal health solutions.
• Strengthening the public health workforce with impactful training and continuous support.
• Ensuring all community members are treated with dignity and respect and feel welcome to express their views.

Community Impact

Through internships, practicum courses, community service, and research, our YSPH students, faculty, and staff work with local, national, and global organizations to build capacity and help solve pressing public health issues. Students’ practice experiences are crafted in partnership with organizations to be mutually beneficial and community-centric. OC&P also houses the Community Impact Lab, an initiative that centers co-design in the development of research and learning opportunities.