Welcome to the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy
Training leaders as effective advocates for solving the world's greatest public health challenges.
What is Advocacy?
We define advocacy as strategic actions taken to drive social, organizational, or policy change on behalf of particular health goals or population health. This encompasses a range of disciplines and practices that effectively engage and inform policymakers, media, and the public to act and embrace evidence-based solutions for public health challenges.
Policy is one of the most powerful tools for ensuring that everyone can have the fairest, most equitable opportunity for a healthy, prosperous life and environment. We will enhance the knowledge and skills of public health professionals to effectively translate the science, engage with decisionmakers, build political support and will, and use data to effectively drive change.
Public health advocacy has the power to improve all lives through evidence-based action.
What's New
Now Accepting Submissions: Sommer Klag Advocacy Impact Awards
The Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy is now accepting submissions for two $40,000 Advocacy Impact Awards. Bloomberg School faculty will have the opportunity to pitch their plans for shifting policy or social norms through advocacy. The self-submission period is open through Friday, September 19, 2025.
Winner Announced Soon: Advocacy Achievement Award
The Lerner Center is partnering with APHA to recognize exceptional advocates from across the country with the new $30,000 Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award.
Video: Elevator Pitch Essentials
The Lerner Center created a new, short how-to video on creating an effective elevator pitch as part of its Advocacy Skill Series.
The Power of Advocacy
If we want demonstrable improvements in the public’s health, we need to intervene in the larger political and social arena and more fully engage in advocacy to inform decision making in our society.
— Ellen J. MacKenzie PhD ’79, MSc ’75, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Dean, Johns ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½
