Michelle Washington, one of our MPH students, is currently a Health Educator II for the Washoe District Health Department, Chronic Disease Prevention Program. The Attract intervention that Michelle implements for the county, was recently awarded a 2007 National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO; www.naccho.org), Model Practice. The Attract intervention uses social branding strategies, which translate commercial branding practices into viable prevention strategies. Through this approach the young adult population associates Attract brand with desired behaviors of being hip, cultured, sexy, social, and smoke-free, and identify with it as the social norm. To experience Attract, please visit www.attracttruth.com
Michelle's primary health education role in the Chronic Disease Prevention Program is tobacco use prevention among young adults between 18-24 years of age. Michelle has a B.S. in Health Ecology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is currently completing her Master’s in Public Health, at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Community Health Sciences. Michelle is also a Certified Peer Educator at the University of Nevada, Reno.