The History of Colorado Public Health Works

The Growth and Impact

of Colorado Public Health Works

Public Health AmeriCorps member Emily Evans sits with fellow program members at a meeting at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment

Colorado Public Health Works was built through years of planning and collaboration among partners committed to strengthening Colorado’s public health workforce.

Since 2022, partnerships with local public health agencies, service commissions, training providers, and community-based organizations have continued to shape the program’s growth, helping create and expand pathways into public health careers.

2021

Working with Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training Collaborative, Arapahoe Community College, and the Office of the Future of Work, Trailhead launches Colorado’s first registered Community Health Worker (CHW) apprenticeship. A $60,000 planning grant also supports exploration of how AmeriCorps and apprenticeship can work together to expand public health career pathways.

2022

Trailhead is selected as a Colorado grantee of Public Health AmeriCorps, founded by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Together with Serve Colorado and the Colorado Department of Labor, Trailhead launches Colorado Public Health Works, the state’s first integrated AmeriCorps apprenticeship program. Later that year, Trailhead and partners receive nearly $3 million from HRSA to expand CHW training and apprenticeships statewide.

2023

The National Governors Association recognizes Colorado Public Health Works as a national model for connecting service to economic opportunity.

2024

Colorado launches the Youth Mental Health Corps in partnership with the Schultz Family Foundation, Pinterest, AmeriCorps, the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, and the Colorado Community College System. The program trains members to help young people access mental health support. Trailhead is selected as one of five local host organizations, receiving $78,000 in funding.

2026

Trailhead receives $250,000 from Serve Colorado to expand its AmeriCorps apprenticeship programs. An additional $150,000 from the Colorado Apprenticeship Incentive (CAI) Grant supports Community Health Worker (CHW) apprenticeships and the addition of a Peer Support Specialist occupation to the RAP pathway.

Stories of Impact

The impact of Colorado Public Health Works comes to life through the people and organizations involved. Explore their stories and experiences to see how service, learning, and partnership are helping strengthen Colorado’s public health workforce

2004, 2026

Trailhead Institute Receives New Funding to Expand Apprenticeships in Colorado

1511, 2025

How Apprenticeships Support Stronger Public Health

Made Possible Through Partnership

National Agencies

The launch of Colorado Public Health Works was made possible through funding from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who together joined forces in September of 2021 to launch Public Health AmeriCorps. In its inaugural year, Public Health AmeriCorps issued more than $60 million in first-year grants to recruit nearly 3,000 AmeriCorps members across the United States.

Private Foundations and Academic Institutions

Building on the funding awarded by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Schultz Family Foundation awarded significant funding to Trailhead to increase the living allowance of participating AmeriCorps members, supporting efforts to equitably recruit and compensate members throughout their service. Additionally, funding from Arapahoe Community College is supporting efforts to recruit, market, and provide technical assistance to increase the number of health-related apprenticeships in Colorado.

Local Agencies and Community Partners

In addition to our generous funders, Colorado Public Health Works would not be possible without the incredible collaboration, thought-partnership, and vision of our partners. We would like to give special thanks to our partners at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and Serve Colorado for working with us to bring Colorado Public Health Works to life.

Diverse audience enjoying outdoor summer event such as music festival or community fair. Happy young Caucasian and African American people standing in park, looking away, clapping hands and smiling

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