Are you a University of California (UC) student and citizen of an African country with plans to change the world? Help people? Animals? The environment? Then, start by making your mark in Planetary Health.

UCGHI’s Planetary Health Center of Expertise (PH COE) is now accepting applications for the Planetary Health International Student Ambassador (ISA) program. This unique opportunity calls upon students who strive to change the world by helping people, animals and the environment.

The program is open to all African students enrolled at a University of California campus and aims to inspire emerging leaders in planetary health and sustainable development. As an ambassador you will expand your horizons in Planetary Health through specialized workshops, webinars, courses, and mentoring. This is a chance to become a leader among your peers in the field of Planetary Health.

About the program

Student ambassadors will design a summer project around a topic of their choice. This can be a new idea or an added Planetary Health component to an existing program. Projects can be conducted in the US or in the ambassador’s home region (if the student identifies funding), but all projects must have Planetary Health at their core. Initial program participation will be for six months, with possible opportunities to continue in the following year. Up to two undergraduate and two graduate students will be selected from each of the 10 UC campuses.

Planetary Health Ambassadors will:

• Be introduced to the core elements of Planetary Health
• Gain experience in developing multi-sectoral solutions for sustainable development
• Apply critical thinking skills to real world problems
• Develop leadership, research, and advocacy skills
• Strengthen professional network by reaching out to potential collaborators in your home region
• Learn from Planetary Health experts within the UC system, across the US, and in Africa
• Get support to develop and lead a Planetary Health initiative in participant’s home region

The goal of this program is to prepare Planetary Health Ambassadors to address major challenges in their home countries/regions.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Full-time graduate or undergraduate student attending a UC campus on a student VISA
• Citizenship in any African country
• Interested in designing and implementing a Planetary Health (PH) project in summer 2018: either in home country/region (if student already has travel support) OR in the USA (if student does not have travel support)
• Already has a plan, or wants to develop one, to make a contribution to PH in Africa
• Willing to help identify individual PH experts and relevant PH projects in home country/region
• Willing to reach out to individual PH experts and relevant PH projects on student’s home UC campus
• Must attend two in-person workshops
  (travel support available for both workshops)
  1. April 20-22 in San Diego
  2. Two-day workshop in early Fall 2018

Apply now!

1. Fill out the application form
2. Deadline: March 8, 2018 by 5pm PT
   Email application to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu