Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 4, “Social Determinants of Health: How Communities and Policies Impact Well-Being” (7th-8th)
Today was an energy-filled, thoughtful, and truly rewarding day in our Social Determinants of Health class. We began the day with a game of Jeopardy to review everything we’ve learned this week so far. We had three competitive teams and four categories: Public Health, Social Determinants of Health, Research and Data, and Policy Process. I was really impressed by how much students remembered and how they worked together to answer each question. Their enthusiasm and recall showed just how deeply they’ve engaged with the material.
After the game, we introduced our final new topic of the week: Systems Thinking. This concept helped pull together all the areas we’ve been exploring. Systems Thinking encourages us to view Public Health challenges not in isolation, but as part of a complex web of causes, effects, and relationships. It was a perfect way to synthesize the week’s content.
We followed this with a TED Talk on Strength-Based Community Work, which the students really connected with. The video offered a hopeful and empowering perspective on how communities can build from their strengths and work together to solve problems within communities.
After this, we explored the connection between Law and Public Health, discussing how Public Health professionals and lawyers can and must collaborate to shape effective policies, protect communities, and respond to public needs. This intersection sparked great discussions today.
Finally, we closed the day by working on final projects again, which students will present tomorrow afternoon. It’s been amazing to watch them apply the knowledge and skills they’ve gained throughout the week to these projects. I can’t wait to see their final posters and hear their presentations! They’re already showing strong insight, creativity, and critical thinking. To keep the conversation going with your student, ask:
- What does Systems Thinking mean to you?
- Why do you think it’s so important in Public Health?
~ Rebecca