Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society, University of Memphis School of Public Health, and Zilla Parishad, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, under a joint collaborative initiative, are bringing the Model of Public Health Education to High Schools by using the Public Health in Action curriculum and establishing public health clubs across 50 high schools in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. This first-of-its-kind initiative is engaging more than 1,500 students as public health ambassadors across all 12 blocks of Kolhapur.

Building on the previous modules, the sixth curriculum session, focused on the human-centered design approach in public health, was delivered across 38 schools in Kolhapur. The session was conducted by Rutuja, Public Health Outreach Specialist at FHTS, entirely in Marathi, introducing students to how public health solutions can be designed around the real needs and experiences of the communities they aim to serve.

The initiative furthers the goals of the National Education Policy 2020 and reflects how public health in action can support the Maharashtra state government’s ‘My Village Healthy Village’ initiative, working to address adolescent health challenges such as unhealthy eating, environmental pollution, physical inactivity, emotional well-being, mental health, and social media and mobile addiction.