MPH Public Health Integrative Learning Experience
The Public Health Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) is a culminating experience option that fulfills the requirements of our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The intent is for students to further develop knowledge and skills in foundational public health areas as well as in their chosen MPH concentration through a team-based public health professional experience. Each student team spends the semester working with an external partner organization on a public health project. ILE projects result in team and individual written products. Students engage in technical writing, personal reflections, and team presentations. The ILE places significant emphasis on teamwork, mentorship, and leadership development. Students’ ILE projects showcase our program’s signature areas of One Health and rural/Appalachian health.
A few of our current and past external partner organizations:
- Virginia Department of Health, New River Health District
- Mountain View Humane Spay/Neuter Clinic
- Town of Blacksburg
- Salem Presbyterian Church
- Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program
- Plenty! Farm and Food Bank
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Summer 2020 ILE projects focus on how COVID-19 has impacted safety in food distribution, first responder mental health, and small animal veterinary practicesResponding to the COVID-19 pandemic was at the core of each Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) project completed in summer 2020. Student teams were able to assist their community partner during this uncertain time by producing meaningful deliverables that helped the organizations respond to the pandemic and continue to serve their stakeholders and wider communities.
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General Item
New MPH culminating experience provides professional development for students while supporting local organizationsThe Public Health Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) is a culminating experience option that fulfills the requirements of our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. A team of two to four MPH students spends the semester working on a project that benefits an external organization. Students further develop knowledge and skills in foundational public health areas as well as in their chosen MPH concentration. The students’ ILE projects showcase our program’s signature areas of One Health and rural/Appalachian health. The spring 2020 semester was the first semester in which standalone degree-seeking MPH students completed the ILE as their final academic deliverable. The ILE projects were all impacted by COVID-19, yet the students persisted. The students adapted their schedules, deliverables, and communication methods to deliver high quality, meaningful deliverables that will serve their community partners.