The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) Outreach and Access Program is a school and community-based group-mentoring initiative designed to empower Black, Indigenous, and other youth from socially diverse and underrepresented communities by introducing them to careers in public health while also providing valuable guidance, resources, and networking opportunities. Through relationship building with DLSPH faculty and industry professionals, the aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as future public health leaders. The program not only addresses disparities in education and career access but also works to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce in public health, ultimately contributing to healthier communities. Program components: Semester Program, Summer Institute, Fitzgerald Scholars Program, and Health Professionals Career Week.
Focus
- Access & Transition: promote successful academic and social transitions to post-secondary education
- Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
- Retention & Persistence: help participants complete and graduate from postsecondary programs
Features
- Academic success
- Alumni engagement
- Career exploration
- Community engagement
- Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
- Participant incentive(s) (e.g., expense reimbursement, bursaries, scholarships)
- Tutoring & mentorship
- Wrap-around services (e.g. provision of food, skills development workshops, writing centre and library access, etc.)
Timeframe
- Evenings
- Fall Term
- March Break
- Single Event
- Summer
- Winter Term
Participants
Ages
- High school students
- Undergraduate students
Groups
- 2SLGBTQ+ students
- First-generation students
- Indigenous students
- Newcomers to Canada
- Racialized students
- Students requiring outreach/transition support
- Students with disabilities