Lessons From a Community Driven Experiential Public Health Course

2021 ◽  
pp. 237337992110563
Author(s):  
Debbie L. Humphries ◽  
Christina Bastida ◽  
Mahaya C. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Community Partner ◽  
Impact Pathways ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Long Term Impact

Applied practice opportunities are essential in both undergraduate and graduate public health programs, and are emphasized in the 2016 changes to the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation requirements. To generate and implement solutions to challenges our communities face, there is an increased need for public health training that includes both rigorous coursework and experiential learning opportunities. We share here a framework and scaffolding from a class that has provided a supportive structure for public health students to conduct applied practice activities in response to expressed needs of community organizations. Guiding Principles: The practicum is grounded in theories of practice-based learning, community based participatory research, and community engaged research with a vision of preparing students to participate in community knowledge generation partnerships to more effectively address health disparities. Lessons learned: Advance planning creates a foundation for success. Community partner and student interests are aligned; teams share the common goal of promoting sustainable long-term impact through their projects. Students are prepared for success through the development of instrumental tools (e.g., logic models, program impact pathways, and work plans) that guide project development and implementation. Students learn to adapt to evolving partner needs. Students have a unique learning experience that is practice-based. Future work to understand key functions of different course elements will add quantitative metrics to the existing qualitative metrics in the preceptor evaluation, work with other practicum instructors to develop common best practices and will include a qualitative analysis of student reflections.

A Pipeline to Increase Public Health Diversity: Describing the Academic Enrichment Components of the Summer Public Health Scholars Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 44S-50S ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Joyner ◽  
Eman Faris ◽  
Diana Hernández ◽  
Joyce Moon Howard ◽  
Robert E. Fullilove ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Columbia University ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Academic Enrichment

A public health workforce that reflects the increasing diversity of the U.S. population is critical for health promotion and to eliminate persistent health disparities. Academic institutions must provide appropriate education and training to increase diversity in public health professions to improve efforts to provide culturally competent care and programs in the most vulnerable communities. Reaching into the existing talent pool of diverse candidates at the undergraduate level is a promising avenue for building a pipeline to advanced training and professional careers in the field of public health. The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is a 10-week summer internship program with a mission to increase knowledge and interest in public health and biomedical sciences. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Undergraduate Public Health Summer Programs, sponsored by the CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, SPHSP aims to pipeline underrepresented students into public health graduate programs and careers by providing mentorship, academic enrichment, professional development, and field-based placements. The SPHSP is uniquely positioned to offer scholars a program that exposes them to core public health training components through the joint effort of all four CUIMC schools: public health, dentistry, nursing, and medicine. Here, we describe the program’s academic enrichment components, which provide advanced and multifaceted public health training opportunities. We discuss the impacts of the program on student outcomes and lessons learned in developing and refining the program model.

scholarly journals Voices of Community Partners: Perspectives Gained from Conversations of Community-Based Participatory Research Experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather J. Williamson ◽  
Carmenlita Chief ◽  
Dulce Jiménez ◽  
Andria Begay ◽  
Trudie F. Milner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Cultural Humility ◽  
Consensus Method ◽  
Community Partner ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Underserved Communities

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been documented as an effective approach to research with underserved communities, particularly with racial and ethnic minority groups. However, much of the literature promoting the use of CBPR with underserved communities is written from the perspective of the researchers and not from the perspective of the community partner. The purpose of this article is to capture lessons learned from the community partners’ insight gained through their experiences with CBPR. A multi-investigator consensus method was used to qualitatively code the transcripts of a CBPR story-telling video series. Seven major themes were identified: (1) expectations for engaging in research, (2) cultural humility, (3) respecting the partnership, (4) open communication, (5) genuine commitment, (6) valuing strengths and recognizing capacities, and (7) collaborating to yield meaningful results. The themes drawn from the community partner’s voice align with the tenets of CBPR advanced in the academic literature. More opportunities to include the community voice when promoting CBPR should be undertaken to help introduce the concepts to potential community partners who may be research cautious.

scholarly journals Increasing Community Research Capacity to Address Health Disparities

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goldie Komaie ◽  
Christine C. Ekenga ◽  
Vetta L. Sanders Thompson ◽  
Melody S. Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Community Research ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Public Health Training

The Community Research Fellows Training program is designed to enhance capacity for community-based participatory research; program participants completed a 15-week, Master of Public Health curriculum. We conducted qualitative, semistructured interviews with 81 participants from two cohorts to evaluate the learning environment and how the program improved participants’ knowledge of public health research. Key areas that provided a conducive learning environment included the once-a-week schedule, faculty and participant diversity, and community-focused homework assignments. Participants discussed how the program enhanced their understanding of the research process and raised awareness of public health–related issues for application in their personal lives, professional occupations, and in their communities. These findings highlight key programmatic elements of a successful public health training program for community residents.

scholarly journals Enhancing Community Engagement by Schools and Programs of Public Health in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mindi B. Levin ◽  
Janice V. Bowie ◽  
Steven K. Ragsdale ◽  
Amy L. Gawad ◽  
Lisa A. Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Control And Prevention

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define community engagement as “the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people” in order to improve their health and well-being. Central to the field of public health, community engagement should also be at the core of the work of schools and programs of public health. This article reviews best practices and emerging innovations in community engagement for education, for research, and for practice, including critical service-learning, community-based participatory research, and collective impact. Leadership, infrastructure, and culture are key institutional facilitators of successful academic efforts. Major challenges to overcome include mistrust by community members, imbalance of power, and unequal sharing of credit. Success in this work will advance equity and improve health in communities all around the world. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 1, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Building Qualitative Research Capacity Among Interdisciplinary Teams to Investigate Girls’ Challenges With Menstruation: Process and Lessons Learned From a 14-Country E-Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-292
Author(s):  
Bethany A. Caruso ◽  
Anna Ellis ◽  
Gloria Sclar ◽  
Candace Girod ◽  
Gauthami Penakalapati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Evidenced Based

Public health–related decisions are influenced by a variety of actors operating on local to global levels, including community leaders, educators, nongovernment organizations, government officials, donors, and researchers, many of whom may lack formal public health training. The provision of public health instruction to interdisciplinary professionals has the potential to strengthen the capacity of all stakeholders to make informed, evidenced-based decisions about health policies and programs. The use of online learning is emerging as a promising means of providing public health training, particularly among those living in geographically disparate areas and from multidisciplinary backgrounds. This article describes an online course created to teach participants in stakeholder teams from 14 low- and middle-income countries how to design and conduct qualitative research to understand girls’ challenges managing menstruation at school. The goal of the course was to strengthen each country team’s ability to conduct research by building the capacity of the members. Thus, completion of the course by all team members was an objective, but less of a focus than assuring that each team as a collective was gaining public health insights and working together to make informed decisions about their research goals. This course led to benefits beyond capacity strengthening, including the formation of a broader community of learning and practice that extended beyond country boundaries. We recommend embedding training opportunities for multidisciplinary stakeholders into research endeavors given the potential for positive effects on individual participants and overall policy decisions to improve community health and provide lessons learned for doing so.

Lessons from a community-based participatory research study with transgender and gender nonconforming youth and their families

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabra L Katz-Wise ◽  
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon ◽  
Laura M Bogart ◽  
Milagros C Rosal ◽  
Diane Ehrensaft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Community Partner ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
And Gender

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) involves community members collaborating with academic investigators in each step of the research process. CBPR may be especially useful for research involving marginalized populations with unique perspectives and needs. In this paper, we discuss successes and challenges of using a CBPR approach for the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project, a longitudinal mixed-methods study to examine how the family environment affects the health and well-being of transgender and gender nonconforming youth. We describe considerations for using a CBPR approach with this population, including defining the community of transgender and gender nonconforming youth and families, engaging the community in the research process, managing conflicting agendas for community partner meetings, addressing insider/outsider status of the researchers, resolving researcher/community tensions regarding data collection tools, integrating academic and community members into a cohesive research team, developing safety plans to address participant suicidality disclosures, and differentiating the role of academics as researchers vs. advocates. We conclude by sharing lessons learned, which can inform future research to address the needs of transgender and gender nonconforming youth and families.

scholarly journals Round table: International capacity building to boost public health: Can we join forces and share know-how?

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Interest Group ◽  
Round Table ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Public Health Training

Abstract Background European Universities are increasingly running or participating in capacity building in higher education in non-EU countries. These projects are funded by EC, US National Institutes of Health (NIH), governments, universities or private sector. Capacity building provides a way to build global bridges between public health communities; it increases cultural understanding, develops resources in the neighboring countries and prevents public health problems spreading to Europe. For the collaborating countries it empowers communities and enhances equity and solidarity. To pool together the expertise and lessons learnt by the universities delivering this kind of education, a roundtable discussion at EUPHA offers a good forum. Aim To create a forum where public health academics, adult pedagogic experts, policymakers and practitioners gather to share experiences, interests and ideas for potential collaboration to facilitate the export of public health training across countries and cultures. Based on this, the round table will increase sharing knowledge and transparency of results of international capacity building interventions and will contribute to the transcultural fertilization of the interventions, with a special focus on solidarity in health. We will present specific ways of how to do knowhow transfer from EU countries to some other parts of the world (Northern Africa, Arabian Peninsula and the Caucasus region). Program An introduction to the roundtable is given by Professor of Public Health Arja R Aro (SDU, Denmark). She will describe recent developments and multiple lines of funding options for international capacity building projects. Professor Razvan Chereches (BBU, Romania) will talk on the lessons learned in an ongoing public health capacity building project among medical faculty staff funded by EC Erasmus+ program in Tunisia. Dr Diana Dulf will present the lessons learned in capacity building projects funded by NIH in Armenia and Georgia in the area of injury prevention. Arja R Aro will tell about the recent and ongoing knowledge transfer and education export projects among undergraduates and health professionals in Saudi Arabia funded by local universities. Pedagogical expert Anne Leena Ikonen will reflect on the pedagogic challenges in capacity building across cultures, using the Saudi Arabian context as an example. After that the panel will discuss the main lessons learnt and challenges encountered, and the audience is invited to ask questions, to share their experiences and interests. The roundtable will finish by discussing options to get organized as a network or interest group around international capacity building in public health, potentially under EUPHA. Key messages Pooling lessons learnt will help towards better and cost-effective planning of the future training. Network or interest group can offer a platform for collaboration and enhancement of European public health training and export.

Building the Plane While Flying It: Lessons Learned in the Development of the North Carolina Local Performance Site for the HRSA Region IV Public Health Training Center

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 17S-20S ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie D. Smith ◽  
Katelyn G. Matney ◽  
Justine J. Reel ◽  
Nathaniel P. Miner ◽  
Randall R. Cottrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Training Center ◽  
Health Training ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Regional Public Health

Developing a public health training center has provided a unique opportunity to meet the training needs of the public health workforce across North Carolina. Furthermore, the training center has fostered collaborations with community partners and other universities in the state. This article describes some lessons learned while building a local performance site that may help inform and shape expectations about what it takes to build a public health training center. Recommendations for successfully creating a local performance site within the Regional Public Health Training Center model are included.

Developing Professional Competencies through International Peer Learning Communities

2012 ◽  
pp. 134-154
Author(s):  
Hanna Yakavenka
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Business Education ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Peer Learning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Programs Of Study

This chapter utilizes a peer learning community as an example to explore whether and how information exchange, learning, and knowledge creation occur when students undertake professional internships. Observation and analysis of the learners’ views on their interaction are conducted by studying peer-generated blogs to determine if learners working in companies worldwide, but connected via an informal virtual community, can communicate effectively and produce a useful pool of information, thus creating meaningful knowledge and expertise to assist in future career development. The objective is to utilize the lessons learned to incorporate effective elements of the peer learning experience into formal programs of study and so increase the employability focus of business education.

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