The Maternal & Child Health Leadership Education in Eliminating Disparities (MCH LEEDs) Program at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health is building a strong, sustainable training infrastructure to develop the next generation of MCH leaders. The program prepares scholars to improve the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, and families within their local communities and beyond.

MCH LEEDs was created in response to pressing public health needs. Georgia and its surrounding neighboring states face some of the highest maternal mortality and preterm birth rates in the nation, with persistent racial and ethnic disparities impacting maternal health, pediatric care access, food security, and preventive services. As Georgia’s population grows and becomes more diverse, the state urgently needs a well-trained, culturally responsive MCH workforce equipped to promote equity and eliminate disparities.

Through interdisciplinary coursework, Applied Practice Experiences (APE), leadership development, and community partnerships, MCH LEEDs provides scholars with essential competencies rooted in the life-course perspective. The program emphasizes the belief that MCH populations are experts in their own experiences, and that the strongest solutions come from collaboration with the communities being served.

Long-term goals of the project include:

• • Recruit and train graduate students through the MCH LEEDS training program
  • Create two high-quality, graduate-level MCH courses
  • Develop and sustain a student-led MCH organization
  • Increase the number of graduates committed to MCH leadership and careers
  • Cultivate leadership capacity among students, faculty, and community partners