The Public Health Patch

Designed for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors

GS Public Health Patch

Girl Scout Public Health Patch

An Educational Partnership with the David J. Sencer CDC Museum

WHY IS PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION SO IMPORTANT?

Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. It could take the form of education, research, disease prevention, and more. In earning the Public Health Patch, you will be tackling the first step in that process which is education. With that knowledge, you can make informed choices that lead to a better quality of life for everyone.

As teenagers, we know the basics of staying healthy and safe. Do we really know as much as we think we do? By checking out our learning modules, you just may gain some new knowledge on physical, psychological, environmental, and emergency health topics. They are essential to protecting yourself and others.

CDC Museum

ABOUT THE PATCH

This public health fun patch was created by the CDC Museum in cooperation with the Girl Scouts of America in 2022. By completing six learning modules and passing a final quiz, Girl Scouts can earn the patch!

It was designed as an extension to the STEM-based educational programs provided by the David J. Sencer CDC Museum Public Health Academy (CDCM PHA). The goal is for middle and high school Girl Scouts to learn about how to have a positive public health impact through personal education. The learning modules cover Bullying, Emergency Response, Diet and Exercise, Mental Health, Respiratory Health, and Sexual Health.

OUR “TAKE ACTION” PROJECT

We are a small troop of Cadettes from the suburbs of Atlanta. And, guess what? The CDC just happens to be right around the corner! So, it only seemed natural that we would dive into public health for our Silver Award “Take Action” project. We are so excited that the CDC Museum decided to partner with us.

We created this website so that teens our age could learn more about public health. Our hope is that it will help make our peers mentally and physically ready for anything that may come their way. After earning the patch, you should be able to go back to your communities with the knowledge to help yourself and others.

WHAT WE ADDRESS

The issue we address is the fact that many teens are lacking comprehensive public health education. This leaves them vulnerable instead of empowered. They don’t necessarily understand they have the power to protect themselves and ignite change.

There is both stigma and controversy about certain public health topics which can lead to ignorance about them. School policies and the cultural norms of a community often dictate what is or is not taught, leaving kids to figure things out for themselves.

Our solution was to produce a website for teens by teens that would be a fun educational tool to demystify and destigmatize public health issues. Plus, they get to earn a patch!

We hope that our project educates and empowers teens to make a difference at home, in their communities, and beyond. Anyone can influence change! We also hope that our work helps bring light to the work done by the CDC Museum specifically for teens. Plus, we expect that troops will form stronger bonds with each other through the learning process just like we have.