The Future Leaders Program

The Future Leaders program is an initiative by the Western Region Public Health Training Center (WRPHTC) to support students conducting applied public health experiences by providing training and funding during the course of their projects. Students must conduct either a field placement or faculty-student collaborative project to participate in the Future Leaders program. These projects will be a central component to the program and participation in the Community of Practice.

• Field Placement Project: A structured experience that provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in a public health setting (such as with a nonprofit or public health agency or organization) under the guidance of an experienced professional.
• Faculty-Student Collaborative Project: A research project and/or community intervention led by a faculty advisor where students collaborate with a public health agency to enhance public health services to rural and/or medically underserved communities.

The goal of these projects are to provide students with applied public health experience under the guidance of faculty and field placement preceptors. Both types of projects should have specific target populations that include underserved communities and project goals that center achieving health equity in these communities. The WRPHTC will provide stipends to support students accepted into the Future Leaders program through support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Stipends are subsistence allowances for students to help defray living expenses during their applied public health experience, and are not provided as a condition of employment, or for tuition, fees, health insurance, or other project costs.

For Applicants: