ABH Public Health Advocacy Fellowship

Program Information and Student Application

About Advocates for Better Health

Advocates for Better Health (ABH) believes everyone can be an advocate for better health, and health professionals play an integral part in improving public health and building healthy communities. We strive to foster advocacy in our network of healthcare professionals throughout their entire career, from training, to practice and beyond.

About the Public Health Advocacy Fellowship

Launched in 2018 as an experiential program for medical students, the ABH Fellowship expanded to an interdisciplinary cohort in 2024 because real change requires all of us. Through learning in small cohorts, connecting with like-minded peers, and interacting with local stakeholders, students engage in the process of community-based advocacy, public policy, systemic change, and turning passion for a specific issue into action.

During the program year, students build their advocacy skills through three main program components:

  1. Skills training in legislative advocacy, coalition building, and communications led by ABH staff,

  2. Mentoring from an experienced advocate aligned with your interests, and

  3. Real-world advocacy experiences such as meeting with elected officials, working with community leaders, or publishing an op-ed.

The eighth Fellowship cohort will begin in August 2025 and conclude in April 2026. We plan to accept up to 15 graduate-level health science students enrolled in Medical, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health or Healthcare Administration and ask applicants to commit to the following:

  • In-Person Workshops

    Fellows are expected to attend two half-day workshops which will take place on Saturday, September 6, 2025 and Saturday, January 10, 2026 as well as a two-hour closing session on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Please hold these dates if you apply! These workshops provide opportunities to connect and build community with your cohort and mentors as we learn about cultivating the cultural soil of our advocacy topics, messaging, and legislative advocacy. Small group discussion at these in-person events are foundational parts of the program, and we are therefore unable to provide virtual options for these dates.

  • Monthly Trainings & Check Ins

In addition to the in-person workshops, ABH will host monthly skills-development virtual evening events on topics like pathways for creating change, community organizing, and framing an effective message. Fellows will also be invited to attend one evening event spent in conversation with program mentors on how they balance advocacy and their personal wellness. Finally, fellows will have an opportunity to join a Day at the Capitol event at the Minnesota State Capitol with ABH allies and participate in a behind-the-scenes tour with friends of ABH.

  • Fellowship Mentor

    ABH will match you with a mentor who is passionate about public health and is experienced doing advocacy work. Mentors will help fellows both with understanding how they can impact change in their area of interest and understanding how the fellow can grow their advocacy skills. We ask students to proactively connect with their mentor once per month.

What We Are Looking for In Future Fellows

All 2025-2026 University of Minnesota graduate-level health science students are eligible to apply. We are looking for applicants who embody the following:

  • Passionate and curious

    We’re looking for fellows who are passionate about creating healthy communities and improving their advocacy skills through learning, doing and relationship building.

  • A wide range of skills

    At ABH, we believe that there are many ways to create healthy communities. Some of those ways include legislative advocacy, but also include things like relationship and coalition building, system/organizational changes, cultural and narrative change, and more. Because there are many ways to make change, we’re excited to welcome fellows with a wide variety of skills and interests.

  • Self-driven

    ABH staff and board members are always happy to help you throughout your fellowship and love hearing from you, but many aspects of this program are self-driven. We encourage fellows to feel confident in setting up meetings with their mentor and making other connections, and to ask for help or support when needed.

To learn more about previous fellows and their areas of interest, click here.

Month-by-Month Events

  • August - Brief orientation session

  • September - Opening workshop: Preparing the Cultural Soil Saturday 9/6*

  • October - Civic Engagement and Health training + Get to know you coffee dates with cohort

  • November - Narrative Strategy & Messaging training + An Evening with ABH, topic TBD

  • December - Pathways to Creating Change training & discussion

  • January - January workshop: Legislative Change & Building Power through Coalitions Saturday 1/10*

  • February - Community Organizing panel

  • March – Day at the Capitol events & tour

  • April - Sustainable Advocacy dinner & discussion

  • May - Closing celebration Saturday 4/25*

    *In-person events to hold on your calendar

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I need to find my own mentor?

    • No, Advocates for Better Health staff will match you with a mentor passionate about public health.

  • Am I expected to complete an entire project in 9 months?

    • No, we hope that the relationships formed and knowledge built during the Fellowship will be just the starting point on a long journey of advocacy. We understand that health science students juggle demanding schedules, and we do not expect you to finish an entire project during our time together. We consider the fellowship successful if we have fellows that walk away feeling empowered and equipped to engage in advocacy work. The skills needed to be a great advocate are within all of us, and this program aims to bring about confidence and knowledge of the many pathways to creating meaningful change.

  • Do I have to be a certain year in school to apply?

    • We welcome incoming and current graduate-level health science students to apply. The Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for students to connect with like-minded students from different years, programs, and campuses.

  • Do I have to be a medical student?

    • We expanded to an interdisciplinary cohort in 2024 and welcome all health sciences graduate students to apply to the 2025-26 cohort (enrolled in Medical, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health or Healthcare Administration).

  • Who can I contact with questions?

How to Apply

To apply, please upload your resume and either a short video or a 1-2 page written essay addressing the following questions:

  • What topic or issue are you interested in exploring during the fellowship?

  • Why are you passionate about this topic or about public health advocacy?

  • What would you most like to learn from your time in the fellowship?

Don’t worry about having a long list of credentials — we are much more interested in learning about you, your passions, and what you’re most wanting to learn!

If you’re submitting a written essay, please combine your essay and resume into one PDF file before attaching it.