Teach, Learn, Do, Repeat: Service Learning Curriculum that Drives Public Health Education while Improving Community Health Outcomes

The integration of service learning into public health curriculum allows students to apply and ultimately better understand often abstract but important theoretical concepts. We provide lessons learned and practical advice on how to plan and implement an experiential learning project over a two-semester period for upper level undergraduate public health students. Through application of program planning pedagogy, students obtained real-world experience while simultaneously improving mental health for college students. We also discuss how experiential curriculum also provides faculty the opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and organizations to build sustainable partnerships that positively impact students and the community at large.