The Workforce Pathways Program values and supports community-driven work and investments to bridge and expand public health workforce development initiatives.
In 2024, we made $4 million in Community Investment (CI) funding available to key community-based organizations (CBOs) and public health partners to create or sustain community-led, local public health workforce development programs. The CI funding ended in June 2025. Our partner organizations invested in communities disproportionately affected by health inequities and elevated voices underrepresented in public health.
Goals
- Advance community knowledge of and participation in public health using culturally, linguistically, and geographically relevant resources, outreach, and engagement
- Share information about public health opportunities and careers
- Offer trainings
- Build a public health workforce that represents the communities it serves
- Provide professional opportunities and pathways into public health
Community Investment Partners and Communities of Focus
We are thankful for our many partners in this work:
| Organization | Priority Communities Served (Priority Populations) | Geographic Reach |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian Health Commission | American Indians/Alaska Natives/Urban Indians | Statewide |
| Asian Pacific Cultural Center | Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Pierce County |
| APartnership | Asian | Statewide |
| Center for Multicultural Health | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, African Diaspora | King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties |
| Centro Cultural Mexicano | Hispanic/Latina/Latina | King and Snohomish counties |
| Comagine Health | Black/African American | Statewide |
| Desautel Hege (DH) | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino/Latina | Statewide |
| Health Commons Project | African Diaspora | Statewide |
| The Native Project | American Indians/Alaska Natives/Urban Indians | Spokane County |
| Yakima Valley Community Foundation | Hispanic/Latino/Latina | Yakima, Grant, and Adams counties |
Learn more about these organizations and their work on the Community Driven Outreach Initiative and Urban Indian Initiative WA Portal pages.
In addition to the priority populations served, partners were asked to include the following backgrounds and intersections:
- People with non-traditional degrees or experience outside of public health
- People with disabilities
- Medically underserved communities
- Religious groups
- LGBTQ+ communities
- 65+ or retired adults
- Young adults (18+)
- Individuals affected by poverty or homelessness
- Formerly incarcerated individuals
- Trade schools/programs
- Immigrants/refugees
- Multilingual speakers
- Agricultural workers
- Community health workers
- International medical graduates
Impact
The initiative created capacity either within CI partner organizations or with their partner network to advance public health workforce development in priority populations. This established a model for strengthening pathways into public health.
The CI partners and organizations expanded engagement in priority populations with public health and career opportunities. They did this by hosting outreach events and media campaigns reaching over 1 million individuals. Events included:
- Lectures
- Panels
- Info sessions
- Webinars on public health and careers
- Tabling at community events and job fairs
What Participants Are Saying
"I never realized how much public health work happens behind the scenes as well as how many careers fall under the Public Health sector. This event made me appreciate all the work being done for our community."
- Attendee at a community event where public health careers were promoted
"A youth participant… shared that the seminar sparked a genuine interest in pursuing a career in the public health field. They mentioned that before the event, they hadn’t fully understood what public health professionals do or how impactful the field could be. After learning about how public health addresses community needs, promotes health equity, and supports preventive care, they expressed excitement about exploring related college majors and volunteer opportunities. This kind of engagement highlights the importance of youth-centered outreach and the potential for long-term impact on workforce development."
- Organizer at an event explaining public health and careers
Campaign Examples
Examples of media campaigns include:
- Social media posts
- Online videos and streaming advertisements
- Web articles
- Radio interviews
- Print advertisements
- Posters and flyers
- Newspaper articles
- Direct mail
- Text and email campaigns
Training, Education, and Engagement Examples
The CI partners and organizations also offered and promoted public health training, education, and public health engagement opportunities.
Examples of training, education, and engagement opportunities include:
- Funding attendance at the 2025 Northwest Rural Health Conference and 2025 Washington State Public Health Association Annual Health Conference
- Offering or funding attendance at Public Health 101, community health worker, and health literacy trainings
- Funding participation in DOH’s Transformation Update and Input session, local health board meeting attendance, and State Health Improvement Planning
- Offering Our Path to Health and Resilience – A Tribally-Driven Framework for Indigenous Health training to public health practitioners. This training supported practitioners’ engagement with American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
- Creating and promoting materials explaining public health, public health careers, and pathways into public health
- Offering 400+ scholarships or community-based paid placements (i.e. internships)
- Creating community profiles and an infrastructure plan to guide the Workforce Pathways Program’s future efforts
