​Below is a Council on Linkages Update for March 2024. Please feel free to share these opportunities in your organization's newsletter or other communications.

Academic health department (AHD) partnerships can offer a variety of benefits, such as increased health department capacity, placements for students, and recruitment and retention of staff. Join the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) and the Public Health Foundation (PHF) for an interactive webinar on April 4^th from 12-1pm EDT focused on the experiences of Public Health – Seattle & King County. Presenters will share learnings, key successes, and the impact of their Public Health Camp pilot project and other initiatives of their AHD partnership. Learn more and register today!  

The Council on Linkages is launching a Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Learning Community to identify ways to strengthen the public health workforce. The R&R Learning Community aims to foster a collaborative environment where health departments and their partners can share effective strategies, highlight successes, and discuss challenges related to workforce retention and recruitment. We are seeking volunteers with expertise in retention or recruitment, or who are interested in the Learning Community, to serve on a workgroup to help make the R&R Learning Community a success. Fill out the form on the Retention and Recruitment Workgroup webpage or email Mayela Arana at marana@phf.org to volunteer. Your expertise is appreciated!

Thank you to all who joined the March 2024 Council on Linkages meeting! The recording and meeting materials are now available on the meeting webpage for anyone to view and download. Contact Mayela Arana at marana@phf.org with any questions.

The Council on Linkages continues to focus on rebuilding the public health workforce. In an excerpt from its March 2024 meeting, presenters shared insights on how their health departments are leveraging the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals to bolster their workforce. Learn more by viewing the recording today!

The call for abstracts for the American Public Health Association's (APHA's) 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo is now open! This year’s theme is "Building Trust in Public Health and Science." The APHA Annual Meeting and Expo will take place in Minneapolis, MN on October 27-30, 2024. Registration and housing will open in June 2024. Submit an abstract to present by March 29, 2024!

Join the Public Health Foundation at this year’s Public Health Improvement Training (PHIT)! There will be an in-person mini-PHIT on May 20-21, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, and a virtual conference on June 3-5, 2024. The conference will feature a series of hands-on, skill-building workshops and networking opportunities intended to help professionals renew their commitment to performance excellence and inspire new insight long after the convening ends. Learn more and register!

Mark your calendars for the next National Board of Public Health Examiners Wednesday Webinar Series on April 10, 2024, at 3pm EDT. The upcoming session, ”Public Health Microbiology in the 21^st Century Under the Landscape of Changing Climate,” will discuss climate changes around the world and their expected impact on public health microbiology, water safety, microbial food safety, and food security. This webinar falls under the Certified in Public Health Domain: Public Health Biology and Human Disease Risk. See the upcoming schedule and register!

Delta Omega, the public health honorary society, is hosting a series of webinars about the innovative approaches schools and programs of public health are taking to bring practice into the classroom. Webinar topics include mentoring programs, health equity, integrative learning experiences, and more. Learn more and register!