MPH Students

2026 Health Messaging Student Competition: Promoting Behavior Change to Advance Public Health for All

The Lerner Center is hosting a health messaging competition and all Columbia Mailman students are invited to enter! The competition aims to highlight how health communications can be used as a powerful tool to change behavior and promote health. 

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 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.

2026 Project Guidelines

Submissions are due on March 31st 2026 by 5pm. Please email slides and product to Azure at aen2129@cumc.columbia.edu.

1st place team: $10002nd place team: $7503rd place team: $500

Register ASAP: Please email the name(s)/department(s) of your group members to Olivia Cull, ohc2103@cumc.columbia.edu.

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