
National Public Health Week 2023 Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health
The University of Kentucky's College of Public Health is proud to celebrate National Public Health Week (NPHW) from April 3-7, 2023, with a series of fun and informative events, service activities, and more that promote public health's passion, purpose, and pathway for a healthier life!
The NPHW's theme is "Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health.” All students, faculty, and staff on campus are invited to join us!
We celebrate the unique and joyful ways different cultures focus on health. And we look to how we can learn from each other, with humility and openness. We hope that you join us as it takes working together to make Kentucky, and beyond, the healthiest.
Event Pictures

Music Therapy with Drums
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Music Therapy with Drums
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

4 Paws for Ability
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

4 Paws for Ability
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

4 Paws for Ability
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

4 Paws for Ability
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Music Bingo
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Music Bingo
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Yoga Therapy
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Express Your Culture Through Art
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Express Your Culture Through Art
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

CPH College Game Day with UK Baseball

CPH Game Day with UK Baseball
UK Athletics

Trash for Cash Match Challenge
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health

Move Your Body Today
Linda Kim, UK College of Public Health
Daily Events
Sunday, April 2nd
CPH COLLEGE DAY AT UK BASEBALL GAME: FIRST PITCH WITH DEAN, HEATHER BUSH!
Join us at our College Game Day event and cheer on UK College of Public Health (CPH) Dean, Dr. Heather Bush, as she throws out the first pitch at the University of Kentucky Baseball home game against the Missouri Tigers at Kentucky Proud Park on Sunday, April 2nd, 2023, at 12:00 PM.
As we enter our celebration of National Public Health Week, starting the following day on Monday, April 3rd, help us cheer on the home team and represent the UK College of Public Health!
UK students, faculty, and staff with a valid UK ID get in for FREE! Staff/faculty can also bring a guest for FREE. Tickets are FREE for kids under 5. For additional discounted tickets ($3), CLICK HERE!
CPH will have a big tent behind the terrace area on third base side of the field. Feel free to BYOC - Bring Your Own Folding Chair!
Monday, April 3rd
MUSIC THERAPY WITH DRUMS! Drum therapy is a therapeutic method that promotes self-expression and healing by either listening to the sounds of drumming or patients actively participating in drumming. This ancient method has been used for thousands of years to help maintain physical, spiritual, and mental health.
- Facilitated by Austin Robinson, Lecturer, UK College of Fine Arts' School of Music, Board Certified Music Therapist
- Location: College of Public Health, Research Facility #1, (Room 207)
- Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm (stop by anytime)
4 PAWS FOR ABILITY! Unwind with some furry friends in the University’s 4Paws program.
- Facilitated by 4 Paws for Ability
- Location: College of Public Health, Research Facility #1, (Room 115)
- Time: Noon - 1:00 pm (stop by anytime)
Tuesday, April 4th
MENNONITE POPULATION OF KENTUCKY & CELEBRATING CARE! Kentucky's Mennonite populations is listed as the 8th largest on the North American continent, one of the fastest growing in the past 20 years. What is it like to work with such a unique culture within our own borders? What can health care students learn from this population? How can we celebrate the care given to this population?
- Facilitated by Jenn Harris, Director of the Todd County Health Department, and M. Susan Jones, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, Professor Emerita, School of Nursing, Institute for Rural Health at Western Kentucky University.
- Location: Virtual (Zoom Link)
- Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
MUSIC BINGO! Very popular for relaxation and mental health. It's just like regular bingo, but instead of shouting out numbers we play songs. Each round takes on a different genre of song choices; these could be based on either a decade, theme or just a random quirky topic, for example Movie Theme Tunes or Disney songs. Prizes for winners!
- Facilitated by the Office of Student Engagement & Academic Success (SEAS) team
- Location: College of Public Health, Research Facility #1, (Room 115)
- Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm (stop by anytime)
Wednesday, April 5th
YOGA THERAPY! Join us in a Vinyasa Yoga flow session, which will focus on connecting breath with movement! This beginner's class will be largely meditative but will still challenge participants' flexibility and balance. No experience? No problem! Bring your mat and move at your own pace for a stress-busting round of yoga.
- Facilitated by the Jennifer Jenkins, NETA Certified PT, GFI, and Fitness Program Assistant with UK Campus Recreation and Wellness
- Location: Wethington Commons, Room 127
- Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm (stop by anytime)
Thursday, April 6th
EXPRESS YOUR CULTURE THROUGH ART! Using the materials provided, express how your culture has shaped your health. Think about the foods you eat, the traditions you have with your family and friends or your community, the activities and hobbies you engage in, or how you unwind and decompress.
- Facilitated by the Office of Student Engagement & Academic Success (SEAS) team
- Location: College of Public Health, Research Facility #1, (Room 120)
- Time: 8:30am – 4pm (stop by anytime)
MOVE YOUR BODY TODAY! NEW LOCATION! Join us for a fun, body-weight workout that you can do anywhere. Also, learn ways to engage and motivate others into daily physical activity.
- Facilitated by Ketrell McWhorter, Assistant Professor, UK College of Public Health, American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer
- Location: Gatton Student Center, Alumni Gym (Studio A)
- Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm (stop by anytime)
Friday, April 7th
TRASH TO CASH MATCH CHALLENGE! Pick-up trash in your community (any location of your choosing) and post a picture with your bag of trash to CPH social media (@UKCPH) with the hashtag #trashtocash. For every bag of trash collected, Dean Heather Bush will donate $5 to the College’s One Day for UK fund (up to 200 bags).
Funds raised during this year’s One Day for UK will support the College’s Excellence Fund, which provides support to areas with the greatest need.
- Facilitated by the Office of Student Engagement & Academic Success (SEAS) team
- Location: College of Public Health, Research Facility #1, (Room 120)
- Time: 8:30am – 4pm (stop by anytime)
- Supplies: Will be provided!
Weekly Events and Activities
Self-Care Bingo!
SELF-CARE BINGO! This week, intentionally look after yourself and the others around you. And why? Because you, and they, are worth it. Complete 5 consecutive blocks (whether in a row, column, or diagonal), the four corners, or the postage stamp (2x2 top right). All count!
Big Blue Pantry Service Project (with CPH Staff Council)
Picture this: You open a drawer or look on a shelf and you see a bunch of plastic-wrapped cutlery that has been piling up over your last few take-out dinners. What if you could put them towards a good cause?
CPH Staff Council is partnering with the Big Blue Pantry on a donation event to help put a dent in student food insecurity. Here’s how you can help:
- Donation boxes will be available at Research Facility #1, Bowman Hall, and the Multidisciplinary Science (MDS) building throughout the week.
- During National Public Health Week, drop in your plastic covered cutlery. Can openers and reusable cutlery (forks, knives, spoons) will also be accepted there, so if you have any extra, please donate!
- Big Blue Pantry has an Amazon wish list, and you can purchase can openers and reusable cutlery that will be sent directly to them.
- While the focus of this drive is for cutlery and can openers, Big Blue Pantry will also accept needed food items, and a donation box is always available at their location.
For other questions, please contact the CPH Staff Council
UK Spring 2023 Blood Drives
Hold your horses, University of Kentucky students, staff and faculty! You have a chance to save lives this spring with Kentucky Blood Center.
KBC will be on campus April 3-7 to collect blood and supply local hospitals – including UK Healthcare – with lifesaving blood. KBC will be in Gatton Student Center Ballroom A April 3-7 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. every day. Additionally, a KBC bloodmobile will also be outside William T. Young Library on Monday, April 3 from 4-8 p.m.
All donors will be thanked for their time and donation with a free "Hold Your Horses" T-shirt, a $5 Starbucks gift card and a coupon for one free classic cookie at Insomnia Cookies.
Donations typically take less than one hour and save up to three lives.
American Public Health Association's free events - Registration Required
Art Contest: Runs March 1 through April 5, #NPHWArtContest
Join us for our very first NPHW art contest. Submit artwork in response to the following prompt: How has your culture shaped your health? All ages can participate, and winners get prizes! Review the contest details.
Kickoff Forum: 2-3:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 3
A conversation about the intersections of public health and how public health professionals can collaborate with and learn from community leaders to build trust and a strong foundation for health equity. Register now!
Student Day: Speed Mentoring, 1-4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 4
Need your resume/cover letter reviewed, advice on shifting jobs mid-career or tips on writing policy? Students and early career professionals are encouraged to join us for 20-minute mentoring sessions with APHA’s brightest mentors. Register now!
Student Day: Early-Career Professionals Panel, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 4
Hear early-career professionals talk about navigating the transition from public health student to public health professional and what they have learned along the way. Register now!
NPHW Twitter Chat, 2-3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 5, #NPHWchat
It's the biggest public health conversation of the year! Join us for an hour of collaboration and conversation with hundreds of public health organizations and leaders. Register now!
Public Health Workforce Day: CE Webinars, 1-2 p.m. ET, 3-4 p.m. ET, 5-6 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 6
APHA will be offering free continuing education credit webinars to support your growth in the field. Webinars will cover cultural humility, HIV prevention and mental health. Register now!
All-levels Virtual Yoga Class, 1-2 p.m. ET on Saturday, April Register now!
NPHW Daily Themes
Video Series
During each day of National Public Health Week, a focus is on a particular public health topic. These areas are critical to our future success in creating the healthiest nation, and everyone can do their part to help.
The daily themes for 2023 include Community, Violence Prevention, Reproductive & Sexual Health, Mental Health, Rural Health, Accessibility, and Food & Nutrition.
UK Human Resources, UK Staff Senate, and Foundation for Health Kentucky have the following videos that will help shed more light to some of these daily NPHW themes:
Community
- Crafting a Workplace of Advocacy and Growth (UK Staff Senate)
- A Human-Centered Approach to Belonging (UK Human Resources)
- DEI, a Compass to Belonging (UK Human Resources)
- Health for a Change: LGBTQ+ Literacy in Health Advocacy (UK Human Resources)
Mental Health
- What We've Learned About Mental Health and Work Life Integration (UK Staff Senate)
- Decluttering Your Spaces (UK Staff Senate)
- Give Yourself a Break (UK Human Resources)
Rural Health
- Breaking Down Barriers: Real Examples of Kentucky Communities Making Positive Change (Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky)
Food & Nutrition
- Dispelling Diet Culture (UK Human Resources)
Event Contact
Photo | Contact Information |
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Britt Allen Assistant Dean of Student Affairs |
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Christopher Carney Director of Marketing and Communications |
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Jon Gent Chief of Staff |