MCH Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways Program - Arizona faces a critical shortage of maternal and child health (MCH) professionals, with a maternal mortality rate of 30.0 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly above the national average, and hundreds of federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas concentrated in rural and tribal regions. Despite its position as the largest public university in the United States, Arizona State University (ASU) does not currently have a structured, funded, and mentored undergraduate MCH training pathway that systematically connects interdisciplinary students to MCH careers, research, and workforce preparation. More than 1 in 3 ASU undergraduates are first-generation college students and approximately 40% access Federal Pell Grants, reflecting a student population whose engagement in the MCH workforce would meaningfully advance health equity in Arizona's most underserved communities. The ASU College of Health Solutions proposes the LEAP Training Program to formalize and expand a tiered undergraduate MCH training model, building on the established infrastructure of the Maternal and Child Health Translational Research Team (MCHTRT). The program will serve at least 30 interdisciplinary students annually across three engagement levels. Short-term trainees participate in MCHTRT meetings and the annual conference to build foundational MCH awareness. Medium-term trainees enroll in CHS 484, the MCHTRT Translational Research Training course, and complete a six-module curriculum covering foundational MCH, public health, leadership, interdisciplinary practice, and health policy, along with applied learning on active faculty-led research projects. Long-term trainees engage in sustained, multi-semester participation that includes faculty-mentored research, structured mentorship with an Individual Development Plan, and professional development activities. Advanced medium-term and long-term trainees receive stipend support to reduce financial barriers to sustained engagement. The program draws on eight active MCHTRT research projects as experiential learning placements, spanning maternal mortality, infant health, childhood obesity prevention, refugee maternal health, family behavioral health, fatherhood support in MCH, and health policy advocacy. Five faculty mentors across the College of Health Solutions will guide trainees in their professional development and career planning. The program has secured a letter of support from the Arizona Department of Health Services and is developing partnerships with other current partners to expand external training and experiential learning opportunities for students. Over the five-year period of performance, the program expects to train at least 150 undergraduate students, with at least 50 completing medium- or long-term training, and anticipates that at least 50% of medium- and long-term graduates will enter MCH-related graduate programs or employment within two years of completing the program.
