A San Francisco Bay Area CBPR Training Institute

Abstract

The rapid increase of community-based participatory research (CBPR) as an approach to research underscores the importance of expanding access to training in CBPR principles and strategies. CBPR is increasingly recognized as a collaborative approach that can reduce health disparities through building on the strengths of each partner and using scientific knowledge for health action. However, there is a need to increase access to CBPR training for academics, public health professionals, and especially underserved communities that may benefit significantly from new collaborative research projects. This article reports on the efforts of a regional CBPR training consortium in the United States to develop, implement, and evaluate a 5-day CBPR training curriculum tailored to a diverse audience of public health practitioners, academics, students, and community members. The conference goals were to create partnerships and networks for designing, implementing, and evaluating CBPR projects and to identify ways to integrate knowledge from academic, agency, and community partners. The curriculum addressed the following core daily themes: Creating, Building, and Maintaining Partnerships; Collaborative Study and Intervention Design; Collaborative Data Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination; The Intersection of CBPR, Policy, and Social Change; and Fundraising and Sustainability for CBPR. The CBPR curriculum achieved its goal of expanding access to CBPR training for diverse stakeholders in the area, including those from underserved communities and developing a training curriculum with the potential for replication in other locations nationally and internationally. Lessons learned from the implementation and evaluation of the training are shared.