Public Health and Humanitarian Action Applied Practical Experience Scholarship Fund

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Program on Forced Migration and Health (PFMH), we are establishing a Public Health and Humanitarian Action (PHHA) Applied Practical Experience (APEx) scholarship fund.

From its inception, the PFMH recognized the value of field experience in a humanitarian setting, as a complement to classroom learning. An 8-10 week fieldwork component, based in a humanitarian setting, is thus included in the degree requirements for the Public Health and Humanitarian Action certificate. During their applied practice experience (or APEx), students have an opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to a practical setting in a fragile, low or middle-income country. This experience gives them a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the nature of humanitarian work.

Over the years, alumni have pointed to their APEx as being the highlight of their experience in the Program. APEx hosts have also valued having PFMH students work with them, forging lasting friendships and fond memories.

The PFMH APEx scholarship fund will help offset travel and cost-of-living expenses for students while in-country. While student travel to and from each field site is covered by the Department, along with a modest stipend, it often exacts a financial toll on students to have to cover the balance of their housing expenses; moreover, they also forfeit the opportunity to pay work over the summer, which can be a critical source of support for them during the academic year. This fund will help to offset some of those expenditures so that students of all income levels can focus on their APEx and build towards the meaningful work and connections that might result.

Past APEx include:

· Analyzing data related to HIV testing and linkage to care for cross-border migrants in Lesotho

· Quantitative analysis of mental health data for Haitian migrants

· Conducting mortality surveys in DRC

· Survey data analysis and mapping studies in the Chilmari region of North Bangladesh

· Evaluation of an Ebola outbreak response in Uganda

· Piloting sexual and reproductive health care services for Sudanese refugee adolescent girls in Palabek, Northern Uganda

Please consider donating to the APEx scholarship fund. Your contributions are appreciated.