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Greetings!

Below is a Council on Linkages Update for February 2026. Please feel free to share these opportunities in your organization’s newsletter or other communications.

Join the Council on Linkages’ March 26th Meeting

Join the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) for its first meeting of the year on Thursday, March 26, 2026 from 2-4pm ET. This meeting will highlight ongoing efforts to rebuild and strengthen the public health workforce, featuring a presentation from the Public Health Accreditation Board on their work to refresh the Standards & Measures and an update from the National Board of Public Health Examiners on the development of new certification programs. Hear the latest on Council on Linkages initiatives, including the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and Academic Health Department Learning Community, and join an open discussion of Council on Linkages priorities to help shape future activities. Explore the meeting agenda and register.

Upcoming Webinar – Workforce Planning: Incorporating Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals

Looking for new strategies to assess and develop the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals at your agency? Join the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Public Health Foundation on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 1-2pm ET for a webinar featuring representatives from the Kentucky Department of Public Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, as they share their experiences and expertise around workforce planning and how they incorporated public health core competencies into those plans and relevant trainings. Learn more and register.

Building Student Career Pathways: A Public Health Professional’s Toolkit

A new Student Career Pathways Toolkit is now available from the New England Public Health Training Center. This online resource helps preceptors, academic institutions, and community partners create and implement high quality student pathways into public health careers and is applicable to internships, fellowships, training programs, and other entry points into public health. Whether you’re building a new program or strengthening an existing one, the toolkit includes a variety of peer-generated tools and templates that you can adopt directly or adapt to meet your needs. Explore best practices for structuring a program; get advice on effective recruitment, hiring, and onboarding; find and secure funding; and more. Access the toolkit today.

Call for Comments on Revised Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework 

The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, an interprofessional body established by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR), has opened a public comment period for the fifth revision of the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework. The updated framework reflects lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporates the leadership of the Task Force, along with contributions from faculty across the health professions. Learn more and submit feedback by Monday, February 16, 2026.

Register to Attend a MAPP 2.0 Training from NACCHO 

Registration is open for two in-person Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) 2.0 trainings from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). MAPP is NACCHO’s framework for community health assessment and improvement planning. Trainings will be held in Washington, DC (March 17 & 18, 2026) and Baltimore, MD (April 14 & 15, 2026). Registration costs $150 and closes one month before each training. Visit the NACCHO website for more information. 

Call for Abstracts for APHA 2026 and the APLPH Caucus

The call for abstracts for the American Public Health Association’s (APHA’s) 2026 Annual Meeting is open through March 31, 2026. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), in partnership with the Public Health Accreditation Board and the Public Health Foundation, invites submission of abstracts for sessions sponsored by the Academic and Practice Linkages in Public Health (APLPH) Caucus. The Caucus provides a forum to explore and discuss innovative approaches and effective interventions that support practice, education, and applied research by building bridges between academia and practice. Learn more and submit your abstract.

Interested in reviewing abstracts for the APLPH Caucus? Fill out the Reviewer Submission Form by March 31, 2026. To be eligible, you must have expertise related to at least one of the 2026 APLPH Caucus topics. For questions related to the APLPH Caucus, please contact Kaitlin Tager, ASPPH Director of Program Administration, at ktager@aspph.org