Partnerships with Public Health Agencies and Community-Based Organizations
The GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health has formal relationships with several agencies and organizations, which are spelled out in a Memorandum of Understanding. Each of these relationships offer our MCH students ongoing opportunities for meaningful practice experiences in the field of maternal and child health:
Community Partners Award Ceremony

On April 10, 2025, during a ceremony at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, Cindy deSa, Director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Virginia Department of Health, was recognized as the Department of Prevention and Community Health's outstanding community partner for 2024. Jerry Franz, Associate Director of the GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, presented the award.
Here are some highlights of the excellent training experiences Cindy and her team have provided to our MPH students:
· Ten students were awarded fellowships through an open, competitive applications process.
· The Virginia Department of Health selected 10 of our school’s students: six were from the MCH Program, three from Epidemiology, and one from Global Health.
· The students worked in two groups: one to do interviewing, and the other to do data analysis. The state-wide needs analysis project began in January 2024 and concluded in December 2024, with our students involved throughout.
· After the work was completed, Cindy worked with several of our students to prepare research abstracts, which were accepted for presentation at a recent March 2025 meeting of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs’ annual meeting, held this year in Washington, DC.
To top it all off, Cindy has extended the Virginia Department of Health’s relationship with our school into 2025, accepting more of our students for ongoing internship and Practicum opportunities.
For these reasons and more, the Department of Prevention and Community Health was pleased and proud to honor Cindy deSa with its Community Partner Award for 2025.
Cindy, congratulations on being recognized for your excellence as a community partner!
See how students are learning from our community partners

Haley Williams Spring 2025 Fellowship Experience
Mamatoto Village
May 18, 2025
Haley Williams shares her experience working with Mamatoto Village this semester and reflects on what she has learned through this partnership!

Cassandra Smith Spring 2025 Fellowship Experience
Virginia Department of Health
May 18, 2025
Cassandra Smith reflects on her experience working alongside the team at VDOH and the skills she was able to gain from her time working with them!

Audrey Benjamin Spring 2025 Fellowship Experience
Virginia Department of Health
May 12, 2025
Audrey Benjamin shares her reflections on time with VDOH and the experiences she had in this position!

Mikayla Mason Spring 2025 Fellowship Experience
The Developing Brain Institute at Children's National Hospital
May 12, 2025
Mikayla Mason reflects on her experience working with the Developing Brain Institute and everything she was able to learn from this Fellowship!

Haley Williams- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
The Body Agency
September 25, 2024
Haley Williams reflects on everything she has learned during her fellowship at The Body Agency.

Britney Owusu-Dapaah- Summer/Fall 2024 Fellowship Experience
The Body Agency
September 23, 2024
Britney Owusu-Dapaah reflects on everything she learned in her fellowship at The Body Agency

Simone Nixon- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
Beacon House
September 23, 2024
Simone Nixon gained a lot of important skills during her time at Beacon House

Caitlin Brooks- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
DC Department of Health
September 23, 2024
Caitlin Brooks was awarded a fellowship in Summer 2024 at the DC Department of Health

Zulma Arceo- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
DC Department of Health
September 23, 2024
Zulma Arceo reflects on her fellowship at the DC Department of Health

Alandrea Harris- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
Beacon House
September 23, 2024
Alandrea completed her summer 2024 fellowship at Beacon House

Fiona Lewis- Summer 2024 Fellowship Experience
DC Department of Health
September 23, 2024
Fiona Lewis was one of eight students awarded a fellowship for Summer 2024

Practice Fellowship Experience- Caitlin Farrell
Mary's Center
September 26, 2023
Caitlin Farrell earned a fellowship with Mary's Center in the Summer of 2023.