⭐ Visit the Fall Conference 2023 Page for a review of the recent conference in St. Joseph, MI ⭐
Vision and leadership for health promotion
The Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Public Health Education (GLC-SOPHE) is a volunteer, non-profit professional organization dedicated to promoting healthy behaviors and healthy communities. Our members include workers in health departments, community-based and nonprofit organizations, health plans, schools of public health and other public health programs, tribal health agencies, and many more.
Our chapter was created in 1970 and we continue to provide opportunities for health education professionals to participate in continuing education events, obtain CHES credits, learn about public health advocacy initiatives in the state of Michigan, and network with health education colleagues.
As part of our strategies, we are dedicated to providing GLC-SOPHE members and Michigan residents with accurate, relatable, and reliable health education information.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Chapter shall be consistent with the National Society to promote, encourage, and contribute to the advancement of the health of all people by encouraging study, improving practices, and evaluation standards in the field of public health education.
The Chapter shall implement objectives, special programs, and other activities of the National Society; shall assume leadership in the local provision of in-service training; shall present a professional organization to prospective members, other professional groups, and public and private agencies; shall recommend policies and programs reflected by opinions and interests of the Chapter; and shall strive to provide a medium whereby professionals may share ideas, practices, and knowledge.
Contact Us
Mailing Address: GLC SOPHE
c/o Central Michigan University
2219 Health Professions Building
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Email: glcsophe@gmail.com
A Letter From Our President Bree Bode
Dear GLC-SOPHE Members (past, present, and future) –
Thank you for all that you do! You are an uplifting bunch to be in reach and practice with.
GLC-SOPHE looks forward to offering you several benefits of belonging this year:
Get your name on our socials – author a blog post!
Get your CEUs – come to our mid-year meeting and fall conference!
Get acknowledged – present your work at the fall conference!
Get connected -- host a get together with chapter members in your community!
Get buzzed on advocacy – use our platform to advocate for a specific topic!
Get planning experience -- snaps and claps, join the conference planning committee!
Get informed – follow GLC-SOPHE on Facebook!
Get coastal news – resources, job postings, and more in your newsletter to your inbox!
Get your face on the zoom screen (not a jumbo tron…but) – be a webinar presenter!
Get enlightened– attend a GLC-SOPHE webinar!
Get excited – it's going to be great year with GLC-SOPHE!
My name is Bree Bode and I am serving as the President of GLC-SOPHE in 2023. How did I end up here? I started hanging out with GLC-SOPHE members in 2015 at the annual conference when I was wrapping up my studentship. Being in community with people who speak the same acronyms (you know what they are) as I helped me see how I belong – I fit in- “they just got me, and I got them”!
Immediately after, I started volunteering for the conference planning committee and then held an e-board position (CO-VP) for several years in a row where I worked with a group of volunteers to plan the annual conference. Being a part of this chapter and noticing the bond the chapter had to National SOPHE enabled me to have some intriguing professional experiences and helped me grow in my practice of public health. Historically, this chapter has been made up of motivated, mindful, and mission focused people.
While repeating history is not the goal of our chapter this year – I am longing for past, present, and future members to demonstrate how Michiganders for public and community health show up for each other and with each other at our annual conference! I am also longing for different as our field begins to emerge with a renewed or invigorated sense of justice work in public and community health.
We have three BIG goals for 2023:
Foster relationships and a sense of connection among past, present, and future members,
Offer more membership benefits based on needs and wants of chapter members, and
Engage public and community health professionals purposefully to inspire familiarity and prepare our chapter for doing things differently based on the needs of the profession.
You are invited. You belong here. We want your lived and academic experiences to develop a robust chapter.
In health,
Bree Bode
Bree Bode (she/her/hers) PhD, MPH, CHES