Identify your audience. Choose a group most interested in your chosen emerging health issue. You must engage the public where they are at (that is, Rotary Club, faith community, school, city council, et cetera).

The Story of an Emerging Public Health Issue (Opiod Addiction or drug overdose suicide)

Overview
Your task in this assignment is to take the body of evidence related to your chosen emerging public health issue and create the story that needs to be told to raise awareness about your emerging public health issue. Using the key elements of storytelling to guide, you will use the data and information you gathered in your writing and bring the story to life for a broader audience.

Your story must include the following:

Integrate the key elements of storytelling into your story (for example, character, conflict, spark, change in character, and a takeaway message).
Describe the challenges faced by stakeholders directly affected by the emerging public health issue.
Use relevant evidence-based data to support your story.
Tailor language to your audience’s specific needs and concerns.
Create a clear, defined message with a specific ask.

Preparation
Complete the readings in the second study in this unit before you begin this assignment.

Instructions

Step One
Identify your audience. Choose a group most interested in your chosen emerging health issue. You must engage the public where they are at (that is, Rotary Club, faith community, school, city council, et cetera).

Step Two
Identify and flesh out the key elements of your story: character, conflict, spark, change in character, and takeaway message. You may review the document Key Elements of Storytelling.

Use the following questions to help connect your audience to the people and the supporting data regarding this issue:

Character.
Who are the leading characters in your public health issue?
Who is an example of someone most directly affected by your chosen emerging issue?

Conflict.
How is it impacting this person?
What are the obstacles (conflicts) faced by those who are directly impacted by this issue?
What will or might happen if nothing is done?

Spark.
How do you lead your audience to hope that something can be done to address the issue (even though you do not have all the answers)?

Change in character.
What is an example of a positive change?
How did the change come about? Who helped? What is being done to facilitate the change?

Takeaway message.
What are you asking your audience to do?
What still needs to be done to facilitate a change?

Step Three
Write your story in 500 words or less.