How do environmental, housing conditions, and public health challenges shape the well-being of people and communities? And what role can future leaders play in solving these problems?
Protecting Communities: Health, Justice, and the Environment is a three-week summer experiential learning program running Mondays-Thursdays, where students collaborate with graduate and undergraduate mentors, and community partners to tackle real-world challenges affecting community health, safety, and equity.
Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams exploring topics at the intersection of social work, nursing, and criminal justice, developing practical solutions and creating tangible outputs such as toolkits, policy briefs, community education materials, multimedia storytelling projects, or data visualizations.
The experience culminates in a public showcase where students present their work to faculty, employers, alumni, and community members.
Students do not need to already be pursuing a career in these fields — curiosity, creativity, and interest in real-world problem solving are all that’s required.
Details
July 7, 2026 - July 23, 2026
(Excluding Fridays and the first Monday, July 6)
10:00am-4:00pm
Registration Fee
$75.00 for Community College students who are 18 years or older
FREE to first and second year students at Universities at Shady Grove
This program is part of the Summer Experiential Learning Community, a hands-on initiative designed to connect students with community challenges, career pathways, and collaborative learning experiences.