BHPSIP-CHAMPS Advances Arthur Ashe鈥檚 Vision for Health Equity
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Aug 6, 2026
When Arthur Ashe founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, he envisioned a community-centered approach to reducing health disparities through education, access, and opportunity. The Brooklyn Health Promotion Summer Internship Program (BHPSIP-CHAMPS) puts that vision into action by introducing local high school students to the health sciences, public health research, and community engagement.
During the four-week experience, interns partnered with community-based organizations to investigate sexual health literacy among young people, transportation barriers for people with disabilities, the maternal health crisis in Brooklyn, and the effects of artificial intelligence on youth mental health.
These interactions gave students a closer look at how public health professionals work with communities to identify needs and develop community-informed solutions. Interns also gained research experience, mentorship, professional connections, and exposure to careers in public health, medicine, advocacy, and health policy.
The Brooklyn Health Promotion Center, a novel partnership among Downstate, the Arthur Ashe Institute, and the Brooklyn Borough President鈥檚 Office, BHPSIP-CHAMPS, creates meaningful pathways for future public health leaders.
Special thanks to BHPC Co-Directors Marilyn A. Fraser, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and Moro O. Salifu, M.D., MBA, MPH, MACP, Chair of Downstate鈥檚 Department of Medicine. We also thank Arthur Ashe Institute team members Faven Anaya, DrPHc, MPH, Director of Community Engagement and Health Equity Research, and Zenab Ojibe, Community Outreach Coordinator, for successfully assembling the program鈥檚 16th annual student cohort and team.