This summer, UMBC is offering "Global Health and Aging in Japan", a 2-week long study-abroad course led by Dr. Yamashita. 

This program would fulfill one of the following course options: 

• SOCY 497: Selected Topics in Sociology

• SOCY 698: Advanced Selected Topics in Sociology

• GERO 798: Special Topics in Gerontology

For those of you looking for funding opportunities, we recommend looking into some of the many scholarships that UMBC has to offer:

UMBC Study Abroad Scholarships

One in particular that we'd recommend:

• UMBC College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Dean's Scholarship for Education Abroad 

The deadline for application is February 16th! Please see the following link for more details on the program and the application process:  

Global Health and Aging in Japan study abroad program information

Contact Professor Birger for information about PBHL elective eligibility.

From our collegues at AMCHP:

The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is the national membership association for state and jurisdictional governmental public health leaders working to advance and protect maternal and child health across the country. Each year, our Annual Conference brings together leaders, practitioners, partners, and emerging professionals working across maternal health, early childhood, adolescent health, disability, and children with special health care needs.  

As part of the 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference (March 7–10, Washington, DC), we are offering a set of skills-building sessions designed in direct response to needs we're hearing across the field. One of these sessions, Maternal Health Data 101, will take place the morning of March 7 and is especially well suited for students with an interest in domestic maternal health. This three-hour, beginner-friendly session introduces the maternal health data sources shaping public dialogue and debate, while also helping participants understand what those data do not capture. Importantly, this is not a technical training for epidemiologists or data analysts. Rather, it is designed for anyone seeking to feel grounded in U.S. maternal health data and more confident participating in conversations about how data inform policy, programs, partnerships, and narrative change. Participants will learn how to place data within broader systems and community contexts and explore how data can be used responsibly to move knowledge into action. 

We would be grateful if you would share this opportunity with your students. Access to the full day of skills-building sessions on March 7 is $75, and a full agenda and link to register is available here. The flyer attached to this email provides information on all skills-building opportunities and how to register for these session only. Students are also warmly invited to attend the broader conference, and we encourage institutions to consider sponsoring student participation where possible. For students who may not have financial support, AMCHP also offers volunteer opportunities that provide access to conference programming as schedules allow. 

If you or your students have questions and/or would like to sign up to volunteer, please feel free direct them to reach out to me (Kameron Jones) at krjones@amchp.org.  

We are eager to partner with you and your students in shaping the future of MCH and public health. We hope to welcome some of your students to the conference this March! 

Youth Collaboration Coordinator #1

Part-Time | $23 /hr, 20 hours/week | Hybrid (Baltimore-based)

Required Characteristics/Skills

-Must be between 18-30 years of age

-Must have knowledge/experience of youth homelessness in Baltimore City

-Must be from Baltimore or have lived in Baltimore for 8 years or more

-Financial management skills including strong financial planning and forecasting,

critical thinking

-Non-profit management skills include strategic planning, communication,

engaging with the community and maintaining relationships, and time

management and organization.

-Possess or be willing to develop fundraising and philanthropic skills

-Social work skills including active listening, advocacy, boundary setting, excellent

communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability

Preferred Characteristics/Skills

-Approach must be youth-centered and trauma-informed

-Must have strong situational awareness

-Must have mentorship abilities

-Must be personable and a representative of the community

-Must have lived experience of housing instability or homelessness between ages

10–25

Shared Responsibilities (Both YCCs)

-YCC's are responsible for creating meeting materials alongside co-chairs

-Responsible for creating workshops, toolkits, and training that are centered by

the YAB.

-YCC's are responsible for making sure the YAB actively works toward meeting

grant program deliverables.

-YCC's are responsible for compiling, and presenting YAB achievements,

deliverables, and projected growths to funders at the end of every grant cycle.

YCC #1 Specific Responsibilities

-Ensure the YAB follows its own bylaws

-Collaborate with YAB to update bylaws annually

-YCC is responsible for helping youth members (prioritizing those experiencing

housing instability) get job opportunities, housing, and professional development

skills.

-YCC is responsible for collaborating with YAB members to guide them in their

passion/interest.

-Track progress from one-on-one sessions using an Excel-based tracking guide

-YCC responsible for developing individualized care plan for YAB

-Service implementation (linking YAB to appropriate services and resources

needed)

-Crisis intervention (YCC is to provide support, counseling and intervention during

crisis to ensure safety)

-Manage and help curate purchases made by the Youth Action Board

-Ensure budget is up to date regularly

Benefits

-Hybrid work schedule

-Flexible work schedule

-Role includes sponsored attendance at conferences and industry events as part

of professional growth

Additional Job Description

The purpose of the Youth Collaboration Coordinators is to serve as liaisons for

the members of the Baltimore city Youth Action Board. This will look like but isn't limited

to aiding in the progress of the work done by members, connecting members to

professional, and personal resources as needed, facilitate partnerships with outside

organizations and individuals, and to mentor and teach YAB members about the youth

homelessness advocacy realm.

The Youth Action Board is a group of youth between the ages of 14-25 who have

knowledge and/or experiences with youth homelessness. The YAB works to discuss

issues, challenges, and resources affecting their peers with shared, lived experiences of

homelessness, poverty, interaction with foster or adoptive systems, interaction with

juvenile justice, and/or interaction with mental health and treatment systems. The YAB

is youth-led and youth-governed, with a shared goal to end experiences of

homelessness among youth and young adults.

Have Resumes sent to this email bmoreyab@gmail.com no later than Feb 6th @ 5

P.M. After submission you may receive a short phone call for interview

scheduling.

From our friends at Columbia University:

Greetings and good afternoon,

We hope all is well. We are writing to share a Summer opportunity with you pertaining to students interested in learning more about public health. The Columbia University- Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) is a 10-11 week program designed for students to receive public health training and exposure. 

• Components include (but are not limited to): Introductory didactic course training, Internship placement, Networking, Public Health Lectures across various disciplines, Professional Presentations, and more..
• Amenities include (but are not limited to): Housing coverage in NYC for the during of the program, Transportation coverage around NYC, Round trip flight(s) for various programming, and more..

This program and experience is designed for undergraduate students (or students who've recently graduated as of Spring 2025, and are not admitted into a graduate program). Our applications are live and will remain open through January 31st , 2026 (11:59 est).

Students interested in applying can do so via the link found on our website. Additional details can also be found on this link pertaining to Summer 2026.

 We look forward to receiving applications from your students for this competitive program. Additionally, please feel free to share our email contact with anyone you deem appropriate for this Summer Opportunity. We will provide program updates on our Linkedin page as we begin to prepare for Summer 2026. 

Warmly,

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP)

Office of Educational Initiatives (OEI)
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health