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The Commission's One Health Education Task Force (OHETF, See activities below)
Education has always been a major focus of the One Health Commission and a One Health Education Task Force (OHETF) was formed in May, 2015. The One Health Initiative (OHI) Autonomous pro bono team was invited to participate and in January, 2016 Dr. George Lueddeke of the United Kingdom was invited to serve as Task Force Chair.
Simultaneous to establishing the International OHETF, the One Health Commission created a Bat Rabies Education Team (BRET) focused on raising awareness among children, parents and teachers in the Americas about the value of bats and how to both protect them and stay safe around them as they can potentially be infected with rabies. See current BRET activities.
One Health Education-US (OHE-US) Team
The bat rabies education efforts served as precursors to establishment in late 2017 of a sub-group of the OHETF, the One Health Education-US (OHE-US) Team, that began working to bring wider education about One Health and One Health issues to children in the US by introducing the concept to K-12 teachers through conference contributions and with One Health publications in professional teacher journals.
In July 2018 the OHE-US presented three One Health teacher workshops at the US National Science Teachers Association STEM conference and began an online compilation of One Health Educational Resources (for primary and secondary levels) that were already available but not widely known or publicized.
Activities of the Inaugural One Health Education Task Force (OHETF)
The One Health Education Task Force proposed that the Commission, in partnership with interested individuals / organizations, develop a strong proposal seeking funding to establish a global One Health Education program that would provide funds to prepare teachers, from primary-secondary (K-12) to undergrad and graduate faculty, to develop and teach One Health Education courses, programs, and materials. Calls for a global One Health education platform were made in a concept paper, ‘Preparing Society to create the world we need through ‘One Health’ education” (May 2016) and a Press Release (June 2016).
The response to the press release from individuals and organizations from around the world was heartening. With input from internationally-recognized reviewers, the OHETF developed an online OH Education survey for individuals already familiar with One Health. Press release respondents were invited to complete the survey. Results were used to organize an online OH Education Conference held on November 18, 2016.
Lueddeke, G. R., Kaufman, G. E., Lindenmayer, J. M. and Stroud, C. M. (2017) “Preparing society to create the world we need through‘One Health’education”, South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH). doi: 10.4119/seejph-1858
Conference Conclusions
One Health is a pathway not only to the UN SDGs and planetary health, but also to Global Security. Health and well-being are profoundly embedded in and dependent on the stability of global governments.
As the last 10-15 years have shown, it can be very difficult to introduce One Health concepts to already established systems. But K-12 children will be our future global leaders. How do we help them understand the severity of what is going on right now in the world? What is restraining us from doing new things like taking One Health education and concepts to young children?
We need to change today’s mindset/paradigm of using up our global resources without regard for the health and well-being of our planet because future generations will depend on Mother Earth. How do we get individuals, governments and corporate bodies to think more holistically and sustainably about the health and well-being of people, animals and the planet?
There is much work to do to make One Health the default way of doing business around the world. Children and One Health are our ‘Ray of Hope’ for the future.
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Inaugural One Health Education Task Force (2015)
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George R. Lueddeke, MEd, PhD
Inaugural Chair, One Health Education Task Force
Co-Creator, 1HOPE Initiative
Biography
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Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP
One Health Initiative Team
Biography
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Cheryl M. Stroud, DVM, PhD Executive Director, One Health Commission
Co-Creator, 1HOPE Initiative
Biography
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Joann M. Lindenmayer, DVM, MPH
Chair (2014-2018), Board of Directors, One Health Commission Biography
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Laura Schoenle, MEd, PhD
Biography
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A. Lee Willingham, DVM, PhD Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine Biography
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