Bridging the trust gap: insights from students on rebuilding confidence in public health

Objectives To investigate how public health graduate students and recent alumni self-identify as builders of institutional trust within their communities. Methods We conducted 6 focus groups of students and alumni ( n  = 37) from a public graduate school of public health in a large U.S. city in February 2024. Results Participants articulated roles and pathways in building trust in public health and in government, and commonly find themselves in public health advocacy positions. Conclusion Schools of public health can strengthen institutional trust through their role in training students in culturally responsive communication and related trust-building competencies.