Chase Reece, BSHP '24

To recap this week, I worked on collecting signatures and letters of support for a grant proposal that aims to improve workforce development and increase the labor force participation rate in three rural Georgia communities. Workforce development and labor force participation are important economic indicators for communities, and these two topics are related to the overall health of a local economy. Rural communities often have less developed workforces and less opportunities for jobs, which greatly impacts their economies. Further, many young people may end up leaving rural communities due to lack of jobs which can contribute to an aging population and reduce labor force participation. The economic health of a community can impact the overall health and wellbeing of the population and vice versa. Communities with stronger economies and more developed workforces lead to higher paying jobs, and those with higher paying jobs have greater access to things such as healthcare services and healthier foods and lead healthier lives overall. On the other hand, the health of a population can impact the local economy because healthier people are more productive, while those with disabilities may be less productive or not able to participate in the workforce at all. This relationship shows that economic development and the health of a population can not be effectively addressed separately as they heavily influence one another. A healthy population is often a prerequisite for sustainable development. The other task I worked on this week was creating a poster to summarize research findings from qualitative interviews that focus on the health of farmers in Georgia. This task allowed me to utilize media literacy skills, analyze data, and identify health outcomes for a specific population.

The health promotion competencies met this week include:

• 4.3.6: Analyze data
• 4.4.1: Explain how findings address the questions and/or hypotheses
• 4.5.1: Communicate findings by preparing reports, presentations, and other means
• 6.3.3: Tailor message for the audience
• 6.3.4: Employ media literacy skills
• 6.4.3: Develop communication aids, materials, or tools using appropriate multimedia
• 7.5.1: Gain organizational acceptance for strategic plans