Together with our faculty in Extension Family and Community Health, we’re building on notable research strengths in behaviors, lifestyles and the social determinants of health to create solutions that enhance lifelong health and well-being for all.

Committed to Oregon State University’s land grant mission, our faculty and students work hand in hand with thousands of our neighbors in every county across the state, as well as many global communities, to improve health and well-being.

By leveraging strengths across Oregon State University, as well as our community partnerships, we are uniquely positioned to make a difference at the intersection of health care, economics and social interaction. This approach, known as community health, can help prevent chronic diseases and increase a community’s quality of life.

Through community health initiatives, we can get to the root of health disparities by examining and providing solutions addressing the social determinants of health. For example, we can connect marginalized communities to health resources, educate communities, organize solutions for food deserts and teach marginalized communities to be advocates for their health.

In order to help individuals and communities, it is imperative that we encourage collaboration across complex relationships in government, business and private sectors. No organization is better suited to empower communities to do this work than Oregon State University, which is a trusted source of evidence-based research and has established relationships across the state through community engagement programs such as 4-H, Parenting Education Programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed), Oregon Nutrition Education and Outreach Programs and the Healthy Communities Outreach Project.  

Your support will help us take a critical step in community health, impacting lives and improving health equity in Oregon and around the world.

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Coast to Forest: Mental Health Promotion

Coast to Forest is a community-driven program that increases knowledge and awareness about mental health, substance abuse and available resources.