Fostering Ecohealth through IPE Experiential Learning in Minnesota

This talk explores the impact of Ecohealth Quest, an immersive interprofessional education (IPE) retreat that moves health sciences students out of the classroom and into the Minnesota wilderness. By blending guided nature explorations with case analyses in social epidemiology and rural health, this program challenges students to view health through an ecological lens. Attendees will learn how experiential learning in natural settings can foster deep collaboration and equip future healthcare leaders to address the complex intersections of planetary and human health.

Erica Timko Olson, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, School of Nursing.  She is an Integrative Nurse Faculty Fellow, an A. Marilyn Sime Research Fellow with the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, an Institute on the Environment Affiliate and has been a professor for over twenty years. Her area of research is focused on planetary health and nature-based interventions to support the well-being of cancer survivors.