MPH Students
2026 Health Messaging Student Competition: Promoting Social Justice and Behavior Change to Advance Public Health for All
The Lerner Center is hosting a health messaging competition and all MSPH students are invited to enter! The competition aims to highlight how health communications can be used as a powerful tool to change behavior, promote health and enhance social and environmental justice.
Students (1-4 students per submission) will be asked to create a health communication product (e.g. video, GIS mapping, data visualizations, social media posts, podcast, poster, etc) and campaign designed to promote social justice and/or behavior change that advances public health for all. To share campaign details, students will create nine slides that answer specific questions.
Finalists will be chosen using the following criteria: effective messaging, creativity/innovation, design/aesthetics, public health impact and relevance, the potential for dissemination, adherence to the project guidelines, and ability to promote healthy behaviors and/or enhance social justice.
Submissions are due on March 31st 2026 by 5pm.
1st place team: $1000; 2nd place team: $750; 3rd place team: $500
Register by January 21st: Please email the name(s)/department(s) of your group members to Olivia Cull, ohc2103@cumc.columbia.edu.
Congratulations to our 2025 Health Messaging for Justice winners!
The Lerner Center is excited to announce the winners of our 4th annual Health Messaging for Justice Student Competition! On April 4th, we hosted an Award Ceremony and our top three teams presented their projects to the Mailman community. Congratulations to our student winners!
First Place:
Health Justice on the Move by Nae Nhae Pasahahnunwut & Erynne Jackson
Product: Children's Book
Second place:
Quit It: An interactive game answering questions, role-playing, and overcoming challenges related to quitting vaping and creating healthy habits by Riva Chaudri
Product: Card game
Third place:
Combatting Misinformation by Devki Patel
Product: Posters
This year, we received 9 submissions from students within five different departments. Health communication products included: poster/fliers, social media posts, card game, short video, digital quiz, advocacy toolkit, ArcGIS StoryMap, children’s book, “pink cards,” website, peer education video, podcast and resource hub. We are so impressed with the student work. Thank you to our industry mentors, competition judges and student participants.
View all of this year's submissions!
Congratulations to our 2024 Health Messaging for Justice winners!
On April 12th, the Lerner Center announced the first, second and third place winners of the 2024 Health Messaging for Justice Student Competition. The three outstanding student teams then presented their health messaging materials to the Mailman community. You can watch the presentations here. Congratulations to our student winners!
First place:
Health, Happiness and Life: A Guide for Expectant Black Mothers in NYC by Jazmyne Bullock, Courtney George, Ugomma Korie & Megan Spinella
Product: Podcast
Second place:
Mapping Mutual Aid: Using GIS to Promote Health Equity in Buffalo, NY by Kaiya John & Samina Rashiq
Product: Interactive map
Third place:
Desire Dialogues: A get to know you game for new sexual partners by Madison Moore
Product: Card game
This year, we received 13 submissions from students within five different departments. Health communication products included: documentary films, posters, magazine, e-book, card game, social media (FB, IG, TikTok), Zine, interactive map, fact sheet, podcast and short videos. We are so impressed with the student work. Thank you to our industry mentors, competition judges and student participants.
View the HMJ 2023 Award Ceremony here.