AMCHP is so excited to engage with maternal and child health (MCH) leaders and thinkers at the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference. Given this year’s theme, Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health, we are especially eager to hear and share stories from a variety of perspectives through the Sharing Your How project – a plenary session of our conference where we aim to learn how your community is cultivating diverse leaders in MCH. AMCHP strives to invest substantial time and energy into establishing spaces for youth, students, family leaders, early career professionals, and those in leadership roles to foster this aim. AMCHP is also committed to elevating and integrating perspectives from across MCH into the field’s priorities. We would like to open this conversation by sharing how AMCHP does this.  

How is AMCHP supporting in the development of diverse leaders through the Conference?  

• As part of the AMCHP Annual Conference, we offer technical assistance on student-led abstract submissions, host roundtable sessions where more established professionals provide encouragement and practical support for dissertations or other in progress work, honor emerging leaders from all ten regions, and make scholarships available when funding permits.  

• AMCHP also strives to exemplify the Jemez principles of democratic organizing, “nothing about us without us.” Often community members, family leaders, youth and young adults are not involved, integrated, or prioritized when it comes to the various policies and programs that impact their peers and families.  We encourage MCH programs to visit our conference registration page and consider making a financial investment to send youth and young adults, family leaders, CBOs, and representatives of tribal entities from your state or jurisdiction to the conference, either in-person or virtually. Supporting these representatives to attend the conference will increase your program’s capacity in youth and community engagement and leadership development and will be a meaningful step toward building and sustaining trusting relationships with these groups in your state.    

What activities, programs, opportunities, and resources are available at AMCHP to foster the cultivation of diverse leaders?  

• The Graduate Student Epidemiology Program (GSEP) aims to cultivate interest in the broad array of MCH careers and build the knowledge, skills, and abilities of practicing professionals to address current and future challenges – all while experiencing desired leadership growth and fulfillment in the context of this critical work. Applications for students and host sites for 2023 have ended but check out our webpage to see how you can prepare for next year’s cycle.   

• Leadership Lab is AMCHP’s flagship, cohort-based leadership development program for Title V (and affiliated) professionals. Framed by the MCH Leadership Competencies and guided by adult learning principles, this program incorporates learning, mentoring/coaching, and peer-to-peer interaction to accelerate professional development. 

• The MCH Essentials Series is a continuously refreshed collection of MCH content presented via narrated and interactive slide presentations, or AMCHP webinars that have been trimmed or otherwise adapted to support adult learning for current and aspiring MCH professionals from all disciplines. Explore the series and topics on our webpage. 

• Throughout the year, AMCHP is intentional about creating space to hire interns and consider candidates from a variety of backgrounds. Having a diverse, fresh perspective on our work allows us to continuously improve our impact. Visit our webpage to stay updated with new AMCHP and other MCH career opportunities as they become available. 

• The AMCHP Association Committees are member-volunteer opportunities to shape the work of AMCHP. Family leaders on these committees have the opportunity to advance the role of families in the design and creation of state, local, and national health systems serving women and children, including children and youth with special health care needs. Committees also offer student, youth, and young adult leaders the opportunity to ensure their voices are elevated and their diverse and unique lived experience is included in our organization and the broader MCH field through AMCHP’s programs and policies activities. We aim to have a variety of voices represented across all of AMCHP’s work, so stay tuned on how to apply to any of our committees. For more information, please visit our webpage. 

How does AMCHP support other initiatives aiming to build our MCH workforce? 

• Every year, AMCHP applies to participate to be a host site for the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP). We want to reinforce and support the program’s aim of developing the next generation of public health professionals and building host site workforce capacity. Learn more about PHAP and how to apply to become an associate or host site here. 

• As the practice partner for the National MCH Workforce Development Center, we contribute to efforts that provide future professionals with meaningful experiences working in state/territory Title V agencies, and promote academic-practice partnerships through joint efforts with faculty from the Centers of Excellence in MCH Education, Science, and Practice and other federally funded training programs. Learn more about the center here.  

Excited to continue this discussion? Register now to participate in the Sharing Your How: Growing Diverse Leaders plenary at the AMCHP Annual Conference May 6-9 in New Orleans, LA, or virtually through our conference platform.  

Wanted to submit your testimonial but missed the deadline? AMCHP will keep the submission form open and share your stories year-long to continue the momentum from the Conference and foster discussion around such an important topic.