Review the Street Fighters of Public Health case study in Box 5. 4. Discuss what, in your opinion, could be future directions in the use and potential impact of this kind of blog.

Compare with similar blogs you may know.

Data from 5. 4 BOX 5. 4. STREET FIGHTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH: USING ONLINE TOOLS TO CREATE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH

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At a recent American Public Health Association annual meeting, public health professionals wore bright orange badges on which they had written their strengths, or "super powers," in the field of public health. Produced and distributed by the blog Street Fighters of Public Health (SFOPH), www.streetfightersofpublichealth.com, these badges became known as "sticky ice breakers." Designed to decrease barriers to networking among public health professionals, the stickers showed off the wearer's areas of interest and qualifications, thereby facilitating an ice-breaking conversation with conference attendees and potential employers. The blog Street Fighters of Public Health was founded in 2009 by Kate Swartz while pursuing her master's in public health degree in health communication at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. The blog started as a practice in simplifying public health issues for the public with an approachable voice. However, while mentoring and attending public health meetings, Swartz found that public health professionals were spending enormous amounts of money attending conferences, only to leave with unpaid internships and few valuable contacts. She found that these individuals in the field wanted to learn more about career development, networking, and solutions in the public health workplace.