As the Executive Director, Karen Yearwood explains the purpose and role the Village at Ithaca plays in public health to Cornell University’s Master of Public Health Cohort. The mission of the organization is to advocate for excellence and equity in Ithaca’s public schools, a goal she hopes to accomplish by expanding community relationships and educational services to the Black, Latino, and low-income student populations. With this, the organization hopes to meet the educational standards of their fellow peer New York State school districts. Ms. Yearwood describes the significance of education as a fundamental aspect of ensuring the maintenance of public health needs since schooling helps to establish and promote a positive future for children. Overall, the organization works to connect people with available resources, collaborate to improve their school’s district systems and create new services and programs for the organization’s targeted population and their families.

This exposé was written by Pranoti Pradhan, a student in Cornell’s MPH Program with a concentration in Infectious Disease Epidemiology. She completed her BA in Biochemistry and her MA in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University and hopes to pursue a PhD in Genetic and Cancer Epidemiology.