Public Health Entrepreneurs Wanted: Integrating the Entrepreneurial Spirit in the MPH Curriculum

Abstract

The public health domain is faced with many challenges that require unique approaches that foster innovation and creativity. One strategy to increase the effectiveness and reach of public health programs is to infuse social entrepreneurship into public health education. Social entrepreneurship, characterized by its mission to create social value and pursue innovative solutions, offers a distinct approach to problem-solving within the public health domain. While social entrepreneurship traditionally emphasizes generating social impact over monetary wealth, its application within public health remains relatively uncharted. This project explores non-profit social entrepreneurship strategies and their integration into public health education to meet the Applied Practice Experience (APE) requirements set by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). This project focuses on the transformation of a community crowdfunding event, Buffalo SOUP, into a public health-oriented organization. By aligning the event with environmental health and sustainability education, the initiative addressed various Master of Public Health (MPH) competencies, including population-based intervention development, assessing community needs, and stakeholder engagement.

Keywords

applied practice experience MPH competencies social entrepreneurship innovative problem solving community partnerships

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