Utilizing Local Professional Association Chapters as Pathways for Leadership Development

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Education
• Community Health

Background:

• No dedicated health promotion and education practitioner entity existed in Connecticut or New England in 2019.
• This absence hindered networking, collaboration, and professional development opportunities for health professionals and students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the establishment of the Connecticut Chapter of the Society for Public Health Education (CT SOPHE).
• To illustrate the strategic use of student interns in fostering organizational growth and sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Focused membership recruitment on three key groups: current professionals, students, and interns.
• Integrated three student interns into needs assessment, program development, and organizational establishment.
• Utilized an MPH student's internship project to found the organization.

Main Results:

• Successfully established the CT SOPHE chapter.
• Recruited interns contributed to needs assessment and program development.
• Interns gained valuable leadership skills through board engagement.

Conclusions:

• Embedding student interns is a strategic approach to organizational sustainability.
• This model supports both the growth of professional organizations and the development of the future health workforce.