Entries by IPS

Extreme Heat Is a Public Health Emergency, And It’s Hitting Some Communities Harder

March didn’t just feel unusually hot; it marked a stark escalation in extreme heat that communities across the country could not ignore. Communities across the country experienced record-breaking temperatures, with some climatologists declaring this most recent heat wave as one of the most significant weather events this century. Emergency departments are equally on alert for […]

IPS’ YCA Program Connects Youth to Nature

Creating meaningful opportunities for young people to connect with nature is about more than recreation; it’s a powerful strategy for prevention. Through the Youth Community Access (YCA) Program, IPS is removing barriers to outdoor access and helping youth build confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging. This impact has been recognized at a broader level, […]

Institute for Public Strategies Awarded Three New Grants to Expand Outreach and Sustain Youth Access Across Southern California

The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) announced today it has been awarded three new grants to support its work across Los Angeles County and East County San Diego. The funding advances IPS’s prevention efforts by strengthening outreach and sustaining youth access to outdoor and cultural experiences. These investments reflect continued confidence in IPS’s community-driven, prevention-focused […]

The Public Health Challenges – and the Hope – for 2026

The field of public health has always operated at the intersection of science, policy, and community engagement. While there have been varying definitions of “public health,” one consistent principle stands the test of time – ensuring everyone meets optimal health. Yet the road to achieving this aim is fractured with institutional potholes, political twists and […]

San Bernardino County Renews Multi-Region Partnership with the Institute for Public Strategies to Advance Environmental Prevention

The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) announced today it has been awarded a 5-year contract from the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health to continue delivering environmental prevention strategies and services across the High Desert, East Valley, and Central Valley regions. The award extends IPS’s long-standing partnership with San Bernardino County, where the organization […]

From Conflict to Connection: Trauma-informed dialogue in a time of unrest

By IPS’s Venture Griswold As seen in East County Magazine If the world feels heavy to you lately, you are not alone. We are in a time of great political unrest, with attacks on marginalized groups, climate disasters, and misinformation spreading quickly. It is natural for these issues to spill into personal conversations with family, […]

Institute for Public Strategies Embraces the Transgender Community

The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) stands firmly in solidarity with transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming individuals and communities. We celebrate your strength, your resilience, and your full humanity. You are indispensable to our collective life–neighbors, leaders, caregivers, thinkers, creators, and change-makers. We center your voices, not sideline them. Legal, political, and social arenas increasingly […]

The Day History Refuses to Let Us Forget

By IPS Editorial Board This month, we acknowledge the historically and culturally significant day of August 28, both the victories and the painful atrocities that shaped our country’s civil rights. On this specific date spanning multiple decades, events uplifted the Civil Rights movement through hope, progress, and, sadly, even despair. August 28th first secured its […]

IPS Awarded $400,000 from California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to Improve Health Outcomes in Latine Communities

The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) announced today that it has been awarded a $400,000, two-year grant from the DHCS, in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. IPS is one of 46 organizations statewide receiving a total of $17.9 million to provide outreach and education addressing opioid, stimulant, and polysubstance use in communities […]