Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 5, “Social Determinants of Health: How Communities and Policies Impact Well-Being” (7th-8th)
Today marked the final day of our Social Determinants of Health class, and it was a very inspiring week. Over the past few days, our students have worked hard diving deep into data, policy research, and community-focused problem-solving.
We started the morning by finishing our policy projects. Students worked in their teams of three again to finish detailed posters of their policy recommendations for addressing Food Insecurity based on the data analysis and policy research. It was amazing to see the creativity, thoughtfulness, and critical thinking each group brought to their work.
After lunch, each team presented its policy recommendations to the class. The students asked one another thoughtful, constructive questions, pushing each other to clarify, strengthen, and reflect on their proposals. Leo, our Class Assistant, and I served as Mayor and City Commission as the students presented. Together, we reviewed each policy and ultimately selected one to move forward with, simulating a real-world public health decision-making process.
I’ve included photos of their final projects below to show the final results. I am proud of their efforts and all of the questions they asked throughout the process of making them.
In the afternoon, we explored broader career and study paths in Public Health and Policy, giving students a look at how their interests could grow into future opportunities and education. I also shared some of my own experiences working with the Athens Wellbeing Project to highlight real-world examples of data transparency and how accessible information can empower communities.
Teaching this class has been such a rewarding experience. I can hardly believe the week has already come to a close. I hope that this course helped students see how deeply public health shapes our everyday lives and maybe even inspired some to consider a future in the field.
Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and engaged with us this week. Here’s to continuing the conversation about public health, data, and community impact well beyond the classroom!
-Rebecca
