Region IV Public Health Training Center

Working with the News Media: How to Enhance Your Message Note: This is a recording of the live webinar that took place on September 6, 2023. Training Overview: What do we do when we are asked to talk about a public health issue? How do we ensure that the public trusts what they hear when important information about a public health issue is shared on the news? How do public health professionals demonstrate confidence and competence when called on to share important information? The objective of this webinar is to equip participants with an understanding of how to work with the news media in both a proactive and reactive manner. The course covers the basics of media relations, and provides tips on developing a media strategy, proactively pitching story ideas, interviewing techniques, staying on message, and controlling the communication.   About the Trainer Dr. Cynthia Jorgensen is an Adjunct Professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, with joint appointments in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences and the Executive MPH Program. Dr. Jorgensen recently retired from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she was the Associate Director for Communication, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. In this role, she oversaw the communications efforts for a variety of vaccine-preventable and respiratory diseases and was actively engaged in CDC’s COVID-19 response. While at CDC for more than 30 years, Dr. Jorgensen applied her expertise in behavioral science and health communications to the development and implementation of several award-winning campaigns in hepatitis, cancer, genomics, and HIV/AIDS. Cynthia has held numerous leadership positions, including Chair of CDC’s Behavior and Social Sciences Working Group (BSSWG) and President of the National Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Cynthia received her doctoral degree in Health Behavior and Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her BA/MA in Health Communications from Boston University. CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar plus an additional module for the evaluation and any other resources. After accessing both modules and completing the evaluation link, the course will update as complete in Learn Upon. When the course is complete, the certificate will be available for learners to download directly from their dashboard. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Writing a Winning Grant Proposal: How to Ensure the Proposal is Clear and Compelling Note: This workshop has limited capacity. This is an online, interactive workshop on November 7, 2024 from 8:45 am - 12 pm ET. Participants will use Zoom to join with both video and audio. This workshop is sponsored by The Region IV Public Health Training Center. Training Description:  There is both an art and a science to writing a winning grant proposal.  Still, even those with limited experience writing grants on their own or with a team can learn some of the tricks of the trade and hone their craft.  This 3-hour interactive workshop provides insight, tips and strategies for writing a compelling proposal.   Beginning with a reminder that central to writing is to understand the funder’s mission, vision and values, this workshop explains what needs to be included in each key section, how to write that section, and why it matters.  There will also be a focus on persuasive writing tools and tips to clearly convey why your organization needs to receive funding.  Participants will see examples – both good and bad – from other proposals. It is suggested that you watch the on-demand webinar “Show Me the Money! Effective Strategies for Identifying and Writing Winning Grants” an introductory-level guide to the basics of strategic grant writing and how to successfully identify, plan, and write winning grants. About the Trainer:  Tom Stevenson is a freelance grant writer and consultant with a 14-year record of success in winning federal, corporate, and foundation funding for nonprofit organizations at the state and local levels. He has extensive experience working with diverse community organizations including Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Greater New Orleans, Odyssey House Louisiana, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans, Acadiana, Center Point, Inc. in San Rafael, CA, Youth Empowerment Project and other award-winning nonprofit organizations. With his expertise in completing strategic prospect research, writing compelling proposal language, strategic program planning, and data collection, Tom has won more than $17M in winning grants for local organizations and nonprofit clients. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing from Loyola University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and currently resides in the New Orleans, LA area. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,404,138.  The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more