Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 1, “Social Determinants of Health: How Communities and Policies Impact Well-Being” (7th-8th)
Today, in our course, Social Determinants of Health: How Communities and Policies Impact Wellbeing, students began building a foundational understanding of what public health is and how it shapes our everyday lives, often in ways we don’t even notice.
We kicked off the day with a collaborative activity: students shared what they already know about public health and brainstormed words they associate with the concept. This sparked thoughtful discussions and helped us see how broad and interconnected public health really is. Together, we also identified different types of professionals who work in the public health field — from epidemiologists to environmental scientists to restaurant inspectors and policy makers. This activity helped highlight how diverse and complex the field is, working as an “invisible shield” to protect and promote the health of entire communities.
From there, we explored the concept of well-being, not just the absence of illness, but what it truly means for people to thrive. We discussed how well-being looks different for everyone, depending on their unique needs, experiences, and access to resources. We also looked into the difference between upstream and downstream thinking in healthcare. We watched a powerful TED Talk that helped illustrate why thinking upstream is so important. Instead of only addressing health issues after they arise (downstream), upstream thinking asks us to look at root causes and systemic factors that influence health before problems begin, such as housing, education, employment, and access to nutritious food.
To wrap up, we focused on the Social Determinants of Health — the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. Students partnered up to explore and discuss different domains of these determinants and how they directly affect individual and community well-being.
As part of this discussion, we played a game called “Connect the Dots”, where students identified how one determinant of health is connected to another — for example, how access to quality education can influence employment opportunities, which then affects housing and healthcare access. This activity helped students visualize how deeply interconnected many different aspects of health truly are and encouraged them to explore how health outcomes are shaped by multiple, overlapping factors.
This was a dynamic and insightful day that helped students connect real-world issues to larger public health systems. To prompt a discussion at home about what we learned today, ask your student about the social determinant of health they discussed with their partner and how it relates to helping individuals and communities thrive.
I look forward to sharing more as we continue exploring the powerful connection between community, policy, data, and health over the next four days!
Sincerely,
Rebecca