Our goal as a Global Public Health Brigade chapter at Carnegie Mellon is to raise awareness of public health and global awareness in the Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh communities, by providing CMU students the opportunity to travel abroad for Spring Break and experience a life-changing and culturally enriching opportunity. While in developing countries, we work alongside the people of rural villages in countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua and Ghana to improve their infrastructure, educate the local people on healthy lifestyles and teach their youth about different aspects of public health and medicine.
Global Public Health Brigades: About
"Public Health's mission is to empower rural Honduran communities to prevent common illnesses
through in-home infrastructural development, community leader training, and health education.
Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure
within the home through the construction of five projects: eco-stoves, latrines, water storage
units, showers, and concrete floors. The five projects were chosen based on observations of
medical brigade patient records, which illustrated high levels of respiratory, chagas and other
preventable diseases caused by poor in-home health infrastructure, as well as student input and
observations. Between brigades the in-country team provides follow-up to ensure the
maintenance of the structures and work to find funding that will complement the health goals of
the community to perpetuate future construction.
Volunteers do not need prior experience in building to participate in Public Health Brigades.
Before the brigade, volunteers will be provided with video tutorials and manuals on the building
techniques for the four projects and once on the ground, trained brigade coordinators will train
students on how to build each type of project. Throughout the brigade, volunteers work alongside
the trained coordinators who will guide during the building process.
The Public Health Brigade is for 7 days in Honduras. Interested Public Health Chapters will
work with a Global Brigades Advisor to select their brigade dates and book their airfare through
Global Brigades' travel partners. Each Chapter then fundraises for the program contribution and
airfare needed for the brigade. Upon arrival in Honduras, Global Brigades staff pickup students
from the airport and transport students to a safe and secure lodging facility where they will be
lodged throughout the duration of the brigade. Each day volunteers and staff commute to and
from the community to provide workshops and consulting. All meals, in-country transportation,
coordinators, translators, and supplies are provided during the brigade. "
through in-home infrastructural development, community leader training, and health education.
Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure
within the home through the construction of five projects: eco-stoves, latrines, water storage
units, showers, and concrete floors. The five projects were chosen based on observations of
medical brigade patient records, which illustrated high levels of respiratory, chagas and other
preventable diseases caused by poor in-home health infrastructure, as well as student input and
observations. Between brigades the in-country team provides follow-up to ensure the
maintenance of the structures and work to find funding that will complement the health goals of
the community to perpetuate future construction.
Volunteers do not need prior experience in building to participate in Public Health Brigades.
Before the brigade, volunteers will be provided with video tutorials and manuals on the building
techniques for the four projects and once on the ground, trained brigade coordinators will train
students on how to build each type of project. Throughout the brigade, volunteers work alongside
the trained coordinators who will guide during the building process.
The Public Health Brigade is for 7 days in Honduras. Interested Public Health Chapters will
work with a Global Brigades Advisor to select their brigade dates and book their airfare through
Global Brigades' travel partners. Each Chapter then fundraises for the program contribution and
airfare needed for the brigade. Upon arrival in Honduras, Global Brigades staff pickup students
from the airport and transport students to a safe and secure lodging facility where they will be
lodged throughout the duration of the brigade. Each day volunteers and staff commute to and
from the community to provide workshops and consulting. All meals, in-country transportation,
coordinators, translators, and supplies are provided during the brigade. "
CMU + UPenn GPHB 2013-2014 Trip
CMU GPHB 2012-2013 Trip
CMU Global Public Health Brigades © 2014