Carley Gillund

I am the Team Building & Collaboration Leader in EcoliteracySCHOOL (Students Collaborating in Health-Oriented Outdoor Learning), a health science mentorship program and public health course. My project aimed to involve high school and college students in collaborative problem-solving, a major aspect of the field of public health. First, I conducted a brief literature review on the role of team-building and collaborative activities in public health and on strengthening relationships between students. Then I developed a scenario-based activity to help students practice key skills. Implementation occurred during a class field experience, where students collaborated to develop a hypothetical solution for maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet. The challenge of maintaining a healthy diet is a common concern among high school and college students, making it easy for them to relate to the importance of addressing this issue. Pine Island High School and University of Minnesota Rochester students problem-solved in groups, allowing participants to work together and build on one another's ideas when proposing a solution. The findings revealed that these activities were highly effective in enhancing the problem-solving experience for both mentees and mentors, highlighting their value in addressing health-related issues. These skills are fundamental in public health and healthcare settings, where addressing complex health challenges requires innovative and collaborative approaches.