Public Health in the Rockies 2026

Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere, in the news, in our inboxes, and increasingly in our workflows, but for many public health professionals, the big question remains: how does this actually help me do my job? This interactive skill-building session is designed for practitioners who are curious about AI but haven't yet found their footing. No prior expertise required, just an openness to experimenting.

In this 90-minute hands-on session, presenters from Omni Institute will guide participants through a structured exploration of AI tools applied directly to public health challenges. The session opens with a warm-up activity designed to lower the stakes, spark creativity, and build both confidence and community among participants.

From there, participants will work in small groups through a series of facilitated exercises using real AI tools. Each exercise is anchored to common public health tasks such as synthesizing community feedback, drafting communications, exploring data patterns, or designing program materials, with guided prompts that participants can adapt and take back to their own organizations. Small groups will also have the opportunity to apply what they've learned to a realistic public health scenario, practicing how to integrate AI tools into their existing workflows.

The session closes with structured reflection and peer sharing. Participants will leave with practical strategies and resources tailored to public health use cases that they can begin applying immediately.