The pandemic necessitated teaching competencies that allow public health (PH) students to be immediately workforce ready. The shift to virtual learning provided an ideal time to consider pedagogies focused on applied learning opportunities, such as practice-based teaching (PBT). This multi-year, post-test evaluation of one PBT course explored differences in students’ competency achievement immediately post-course with different modalities of delivery: fall 2019 in-person (n = 16), summer 2020 virtual (n = 8), and fall 2020 hybrid (n = 15). Using a variety of methods to assess across semesters, the study found virtual and hybrid learning environments resulted in equally high levels of competency achievement as in-person delivery. Regardless of course delivery, students reported, with no difference across semesters, PBT directly contributed to their workforce readiness, helped with acquisition of essential workforce skills such as problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork, and led to skill and knowledge acquisition they would not have achieved in a non-PBT course. The increased emphasis on virtual learning changed the higher education landscape and the need for students to be workforce-ready with the technical and professional skills demanded by the field and offered opportunity to redesign courses with an emphasis on applied opportunities. Virtually delivered PBT is an effective, adaptable, and sustainable pedagogy worth the investment.

• Economic hardship (job status, money to buy food) is a determinant of food security. • Some demographics (education, household size) are determinants of food security. • Food access has been affected by COVID-19 and impacts food security. • COVID-19 has exacerbated determinants of food security (i.e., economic hardships) • Public health should use the social ecological model to address determinants of food security.

Background/Objectives: This paper examines hunger over time to analyze how food insecurity is impacted by reduced income, including household funding from the government. Federal policies and community-based programs have the ability to prevent increases in food insecurity, particularly for populations that have risk factors, such as households with children; single-parent households; low-income households, especially those in rural areas; Black and Hispanic households; and, households experiencing economic hardships. Methods: This study is bas ed on a cross-sectional survey that was administered in 2018 and 2019 to food pantry clients, an already food insecure population accessing resources, in Eastern Massachusetts. Baseline surveys were matched with a 3-month follow-up survey (n = 308) and multinomial logistic mixed effect models were used to analyze the association between change in household hunger and change in household income. Results: This study found that participants who experienced decreased income compared to no income change from baseline to follow-up had 2.16 times the odds (95% CI: 1.05, 4.46) of experiencing increased household hunger compared to no change in hunger from baseline to follow-up, after adjusting for all other covariates. Conclusions: Food insecurity in the United States remained stable during the beginning of COVID-19, despite prevalence of reduced household income. The expanded government benefits that were implemented early in the pandemic contributed to total household income, which prevented increased food insecurity. Increased food insecurity after the removal of benefits starting in 2022 indicates the importance of continuing support established during times when consistent income is compromised to prevent a delayed rise in food insecurity.