1. 2015 APHA Accreditation Grant Project A partnership between MPHA and the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences. Develop a website application process and scholarship program aimed at linking graduate level public health students with practicum opportunities at local health departments

8. CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED Rural Local Health Departments have little experience with MPH students Do not know how to create a practicum opportunities Never have had a MPH student in their LHD STRATEGIES BEING DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES Functional templates that describe projects that local health departments can use a practicum MPH student to conduct A written guide on how to mentor students during the practicum journey (this would be developed in collaboration with the University of Montana) Individual guidance for rural and frontier health departments on how to develop a practicum opportunity (utilizing the developed templates), how to apply for a student using the MPHA website and how to utilize the practicum student in a manner that meets both the student and the health department’s needs