International Student Training & Exchange Program (iSTEP)
Launched in 2020, The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) is proud to offer the International Student Training & Exchange Program (iSTEP), an international and intersectoral learning initiative that connects students from around the world. This program provides an opportunity for students across diverse healthcare sectors to come together, learn from each other, and engage with global health challenges. iSTEP takes place annually from October to May, offering an interactive online experience designed to foster cross-cultural collaboration and understanding.
Program Overview:
iSTEP brings together students from various countries and healthcare sectors, creating an intersectoral learning environment. The program’s courses are designed to address the most pressing global health issues, providing students with the knowledge and skills to contribute meaningfully to health systems worldwide. Past courses include:
- Innovative Cities and Health
- Communication: Engaging with Partners, Patients, and Communities
- Climate Change, Cities, and Health
- Social Determinants of Health
Each year, the courses offered are tailored to reflect emerging trends and priorities in global health. Each course consists of an introductory session, six in-depth modules, and a capstone presentation.
Modules include:
- Pre-reading assignments
- A reflection exercise to be posted on the TUFH.ORG platform
- A assignment to be posted on the TUFH.ORG platform
- A 2-hour virtual meeting, including:
- Guest lecture
- Breakout exercises
- Explanation of the upcoming assignment
- Networking session where students can engage with peers, share insights, and discuss the course material
International and Intersectoral Learning:
iSTEP’s international and intersectoral approach allows students to engage with peers from different countries and healthcare sectors. During the virtual sessions, students have the opportunity to network, share experiences, and learn from one another. Additionally, the TUFH online community serves as a platform for accessing course materials, submitting assignments, and continuing discussions beyond the sessions.
Upon successful completion of a course, students will receive a certificate, and institutions have the option to integrate the iSTEP course into their curriculum, awarding students 3 academic credits.
Participation Requirements:
To participate in the iSTEP program, institutions must:
- Be members of The Network: TUFH.
- Submit a list of participating students.
- Ensure that students can attend the monthly virtual sessions.
Capstone Presentations and Certification:
The program culminates in Capstone Presentations, where students present their work and reflections. These presentations will be evaluated, and students will receive a pass/fail certificate based on their performance. These Capstone Presentations are open to all members of The Network: TUFH to attend, allowing students the opportunity to present to a wide audience.
For more information, including the full iSTEP schedule and an informative video, please visit our website at iSTEP Program.
Equity: Learning opportunities are available and accessible to all regardless of location, their level of education, their role in health, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or age.
Collaboration: The creation of a culture for health requires a shift from linear pathways of education to an interlinked ecosystem of stakeholders actively supporting the shift towards the new norm of lifelong learning for the mutual benefit of achieving health goals.
Participation: Faculty and students should actively participate and promote lifelong learning. All participants have a voice to prioritize needs, preferred methods and channels and are enabled to engage in sharing their ideas with each other.
Excellence: Excellence is pursued proactively so that approaches, materials, resources, experts, processes, assessments, evaluations, certifications, accreditation are of the highest quality.
Welcome to iSTEP, the International Student Training and Exchange Program, where students from TUFH member institutions can interact with learners from other sectors and other countries. We offer three courses described below: Social determinants of health; Communication: talking with patients, partners, and communities; and Innovative cities and health.
Climate Change, Cities & Health Course
Description:
Patterns of urbanization and land use transformation are one of the most impactful human influences on global ecosystems and human health and wellbeing. For example, climate change and urban heat island effects have been shown to increase volatility and duration of heat waves and precipitation, with direct and secondary effects evident in increased flooding, disease vectors, food and water shortages and others. More distant, tertiary effects are consequences of these events and changes, such as depression, drug addiction, and impaired childhood development in failing communities. Many of these effects demonstrate disproportional and unjust impacts on ecological and social communities throughout the world.
The education curriculum of health workers, engineers, architects and others needs to start including the consequences of climate change as an increasingly prominent issue in wellness. This course will examine the interconnected social, physical, and ecological systems of the contemporary city that influence people’s health and wellness. Students will learn about innovative approaches to these systems through a series of weekly readings, facilitated discussions, and independent field studies.
Social Determinants of Health Course
Description:
Health Equity requires that “everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthier” by “removing obstacles to health such as poverty….. lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality of education and housing, safe environments, and health care.” Achieving health equity requires effective solutions by both investing in systems that are designed to improve social and economic conditions including housing, transportation, education, income and employment assistance, child and family supports, and legal and criminal justice services and integrating these investments into often disconnected medical and public health programs tasked with improving health. The course Social Determinants of Health is based upon the World Health Organization’s Framework. The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities – the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. The topics utilized by WHO are 20 employment conditions, social exclusion, public health priorities, women and gender equity, early child development, globalization, health systems, and measurement and evidence. Through exploration of each of above mentioned topics students will understand what are social determinants of health and how they interact in daily life, leading to better or worse health outcomes.
iSTEP editions
Interested?
Institutions:
TUFH Institutional Members can register students for free. There is no limit on the students, but the institution should make sure the students selected are committed to completing iSTEP. We recommend that institutions assign 1 member of their faculty or staff that can assist their students with logistiscs and contents of the course. We encourage that person to join the live sessions.
Not an Institutional member yet? Join TUFH with 50% downpayment of the institutional fee and pay the balance later.
Institutions are responsible for providing credit and time for students and faculty to participate. Attendance is necessary for university credit – students who miss more than 2 live sessions without explanation will be dropped and we will communicate with the institution.
Students:
Student Network Organization (SNO) members can register for free.
Timeline:
July 31: Institutions confirm participation
August 31: Institutions provide a list of students
September 15: Individual student registration closed.
October – May : Each courses meets once a month
For further information contact istep@thenetworktufh.org
iSTEP course schedule
Climate Change, Cities & Health
2-4 PM UTC
Module 1 : Oct 3, 2024
Module 2 : Nov 7, 2024
Module 3 : Dec 5, 2024
Module 4 : Jan 9, 2025
Module 5 : Feb 6, 2025
Module 6 : Mar 6, 2025
Module 7 : Apr 3, 2025
Module 8 – Capstone Presentations : May 1, 2025
Social Determinants of Health
2-4 PM UTC
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Module 1 : Oct 17, 2024
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Module 2 : Nov 21, 2024
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Module 3 : Dec 19, 2024
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Module 4 : Jan 23, 2025
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Module 5 : Feb 20, 2025
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Module 6 : Mar 20, 2025
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Module 7 : Apr 17, 2025
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Module 8 – Capstone Presentations : May 15, 2025