The Roots of Health Inequity is an online learning collaborative. The site offers a starting place for those who want to address systemic differences in health and wellness that are, actionable, unfair, and unjust. As a participant in the learning collaborative you will have a chance to explore concepts and strategies by working through five critical questions:
Explore the relationship among changing the culture of our organizations, engaging community members, and negotiating with political pressures strategically (UNIT 1: Where Do We Start?).
Consider how "mental models" or "frames" influence public health work. Discuss how values, assumptions, and interests affect the capacity for addressing health inequities (UNIT 2: Perspectives on Framing).
Explore the transformation of public health during the last 150 years, including the forces that advanced or limited the field (UNIT 3: Public Health History).
Examine the importance of class structure, racism, and gender inequity in the development of health inequities (Unit 4: Root Causes).
Explore the principles of social justice and ways to influence the institutions and agencies that generate health inequity. (Unit 5: Social Justice).
Download an Index of Course Content by Unit (PDF)
As part of the Learning Collaborative, participants are expected to bring their own knowledge, experiences, and insights to the table and work with their group members to build new knowledge.
Explore interactive maps and timelines, geographic story-telling, resource libraries, video presentations, and "Voices from the Field" -interviews with practitioners with different perspectives on public health.
The course material is designed around group participation and you are asked to choose a small group of team members to form a group. Even if you choose to sign up on your own, you will end up sharing and strategizing with others in the General Group.
Your group is free to explore the material or participate in the discussions you find most interesting.
As a national organization representing local public health officials, NACCHO offers a national perspective on the roots of health inequities. NACCHO recognizes that local public health practitioners bring a wealth of experience to this learning collaborative, and that health practitioners, working locally, can help each other explain and clarify the trends we see at the national level.
Your group members may differ in experience, roles, background, expertise, and job titles. However, all group members can benefit from your experiences with-and memories of-the activities and themes introduced throughout the learning collaborative. Because this site offers an opportunity for collaborative learning, feel free to use your experience to build on these concepts and balance your past experiences with new approaches and material. Each group member is responsible for helping other group members and building the knowledge and resources available to the group.
Each unit begins with an overview page that provide an introduction, goals, highlights and an index to unit content. Sample Overview Page »
Concepts are introduced with text, video, slideshows and interactive presentations. Sample Presentation »
Listen to professionals talk about their area of expertise in "Voices from the Field." Sample "Voices" Page »
Every unit has a listing of "Resources" for further exploration of that topic. Sample "Resources" Page »
Group members can have private discussions about the topics and presentations. Sample Discussion »