Collaborative Outreach Research Articles

Assessing English Widening participation policy (2016–2021): trends, devolution, and collaborative partnerships

ABSTRACT This paper analyses recent trends in English Widening Participation (WP) policy over a six-year period from the introduction of the Higher Education and Research Bill and the formation of the Office for Students, up to the completion of Phase 2 of the Uni Connect project. It will draw upon the history of WP policy in England, especially the 1997 Dearing Report to assess whether recent policy measures have come closer to addressing the omnipresent inequality that is present within higher education. The paper will follow the journey of WP policy as it moves through a process of devolution into collaborative partnerships. This period can be defined by the planning and execution of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) and this paper will consider the efficacy of this programme within its immediate policy context. The authors will explore the successes and shortcomings of the policies that define this period and whether the developments discussed have brought England closer to the vision of participation set out by Dearing and by the needs of the contemporary context. It is concluded that the redirection of resources from WP to recruitment diminishes intervention effectiveness, thereby perpetuating inequality. Therefore, clearer WP strategies are required involving broader partnerships to counter market forces and ensure sustainable impact.

Growing the Next Generation of Horticulture Customers and Stakeholders through Industry and Extension Outreach Collaborations

Abstract As the horticulture consumer base transitions to younger generations, educational outreach collaborations between Extension and industry could be a mutually beneficial way to serve an increasingly diverse customer audience. A recent study investigated drivers of, and opportunities for, increased participation in plant-related activities using an online survey of 2,134 respondents. Both participants and non-participants in plant-related activities were surveyed. Some of the commonly cited reasons for non-participation were a lack of knowledge and overall success, illustrating an opportunity for education to be beneficial. While many plant retailers may not have the personnel or resources to engage widely in education, collaborations with Extension could be a viable path to address knowledge limitations of their customers and increase engagement in horticulture.

The Impact of a Student-Led Health Education Clinic on the Health Literacy and Behaviors of a Rural Community in the State of Pennsylvania, USA.

Rural populations experience a number of disparities that place them at increased risk of morbidity and mortality related to chronic disease, including lower health literacy and greater distance to medical care. Community-based free healthcare education can offer targeted preventive care to these vulnerable populations; however, limited quantitative research exists measuring their impact, specifically on health literacy and likelihood for behavior change. To investigate this, a student-led health education clinic was held in January 2023 in the rural community of Lykens, Pennsylvania by the Student-run and Collaborative Outreach Program for Health Equity (SCOPE). Fifty-five pre- and post-clinic surveys using Likert-style questions measured the knowledge and likelihood of behavioral change for several preventive health topics, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer screenings, childhood vaccinations, skin cancer, mental health, addiction, and nutrition. From pre- to post-clinic, there was a significant increase in knowledge of hypertension (p = 0.023) and diabetes (p = 0.014), likelihood of attending cancer screenings (p = 0.038), and confidence in identifying cancerous moles (p = < 0.001). There was a non-significant increase in understanding of mental health and nutrition, and no change in understanding of addiction or childhood vaccinations. It is likely that the level of interaction in education provided and relevance of information to participants contributed to effective uptake of information. The results demonstrate an immediate impact on health literacy and likelihood of behavioral change for several important preventive health topics, and advocate for the use of student-run healthcare interventions in addressing the prevalence of chronic disease in rural communities.

Use of Basalt Fibers on the Moon - An Outreach Collaboration of Middle and High School Researchers with MIT and JEOL USA.

Use of Basalt Fibers on the Moon - An Outreach Collaboration of Middle and High School Researchers with MIT and JEOL USA.

“The pop-up exhibitrary”: collaborative library outreach for performing arts audiences

The “pop-up exhibitrary,” a variation on the pop-up library, merges the pop-up library concept with an interactive exhibit in a physical or digital space. The authors share details about producing pop-up exhibitraries as a viable collaborative outreach strategy. Developed in partnership between librarians at the University of Minnesota and staff at the University’s campus performing arts center, Northrop, the pop-up exhibitrary serves the complementary goals of the library and the performing arts center to educate and entertain audiences. The authors offer suggestions for fostering partnerships that encourage connections, build relationships, and spark creative ways to promote libraries.

Lockdown Silver Linings

The 11-minute VR film Border Sounds takes the viewer on a journey across an invisible line that separates Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland through haikus and sounds by people who live near this line. These stories were captured during a collaborative outreach program by the official archive for Northern Ireland, PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland), and the creative media hub Nerve Centre in 2021. This reflective practice-led research examines the filmmaking process, particularly how digital technology was used to engage with people remotely and make a film in a participatory way: to what extent can digital technology, such as Zoom, make filmmaking more accessible to rural people? What role can participatory filmmaking play in post-conflict storytelling? I also discuss the strengths and limitations of virtual reality as a storytelling format – does it really offer a more immersive experience? Are there any access barriers? Is it the most adequate medium to tell stories about the border, particularly in sensitive contexts such as Northern Ireland? I argue here that while virtual reality technology enabled Border Sounds to offer a unique on-screen experience of the Irish Border, it also has limitations in terms of audience reach, long-term preservation and access.

Learning together: Widening participation research with, for and by young researchers

This innovative practice account draws on the researchers' experience of conducting the 'Young Researcher Project' commissioned by the Cumbria Collaborative Outreach Programme, 'Hello Future', which aims to widen participation in higher education. The account focuses on the lessons learned during the project that others may find valuable in conducting similar work. The project involved enabling a small group of young learners to engage in a range of qualitative research techniques including interviewing. Using a reflective process influenced by Brookfield's four lenses -self, student, peer and literature informed feedback- we explore three principles which were central to the project: facilitated participation, flexibility and responsiveness, and interprofessional collaboration. We propose that enabling the young learners to have a voice was dependent on the researchers providing structure and training even though this may, by definition, run counter to the notion of 'participatory' research. In other words, participation on the part of the young learners required support and scaffolding provided by the research team. The account highlights the pragmatism of this approach in the context of completing a project within a short timeframe and to the maximal benefit of different groups, not least the young learners who learned new skills and reported increased levels of self-confidence.

Advancing COVID-19 Vaccination Equity Among the Refugee Community: An Innovative Multi-Sector Collaborative Outreach Program.

Multi-sector outreach collaborations have the potential to improve COVID-19 vaccine access among underserved populations, including refugees. Using a four-pronged strategy, we offered the local refugee community COVID-19 vaccine appointments within the next week. Over a thousand (1,327) individuals from more than 20 countries were identified; mean age 36.5 (SD=16.4); 55% female. Initially, 613 (46%) reported being scheduled/vaccinated prior to outreach efforts; 312 (24%) appointments were scheduled that resulted from outreach efforts. By February 2022, 895 (67.4%) of the 1,327 patients had at least one dose; the majority of these were Pfizer (n=750, 84%). Of 895 with first dose, 843 completed two-dose series (94.2%). Overall completion rate of initial series was 63.5%. Reasons for declining (171, 13%) included wanting to speak with a physician or family member first; pregnancy hesitation; postponing until after Ramadan. Although lower than local and state rates, this refugee community's COVID-19 vaccine uptake is on par with the overall population in the United States (65.8%). Because of COVID-19's disproportionately negative impact on refugee and other underserved populations, we offer recommendations for future equity-informed efforts.

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for University Students: A Feasibility Study

Background: Koru is a 4-week group mindfulness-based intervention that previously demonstrated psychological benefits in university students through its offering via a counseling center (Greeson, Juberg, Mayatan, James, &amp; Rogers, 2014). Aim: This study examined the feasibility of Koru offered universally to students via collaborative outreach (i.e., student interest, attendance, adverse events, participant acceptability, and participant willingness to complete assessments). Method: Across five semesters, Koru was advertised via flyers, emails to student organizations and faculty and staff, and counseling center referrals at a southeastern public university with 29,000-students. Interested students were randomly assigned to Koru or a waitlist. In-person Koru groups took place in classrooms on campus. Assessments included practice logs, program evaluations, and pre- and post-intervention surveys measuring mindfulness and psychological symptoms. Results: Interest was sufficient to offer 2-3 groups per semester (171 students). Of those assigned to Koru, 44.4% completed 3-4 sessions and 34.9% did not attend any sessions. The adverse event rate was 2.9%. Evaluations were positive and all participants attending the last session completed them. The response rate was 29.0% for log completion and 17.9% for survey completion. Conclusion: Results support student interest in, and acceptability of Koru offered to all students on campus outside of a counseling center. Data collection was challenging.

Notes from the Pandemic Field

This article will provide insight into academic library outreach collaborations between two neighboring institutions. Before and during the pandemic a series of events were planned exploring The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. A virtual film discussion complete with a keynote speaker and intentional breakout rooms, each with a facilitator, for discussions was successfully executed with the help of over 25 faculty and staff from both colleges.

Horizontalism and Wisdom Dialogues to Build Trust: A Case Study of Collaborations With Immigrant Farmers in Minnesota

Collaboration between farmers and other farm support professionals is a critical tool for food systems transformation. Collaborative research and outreach can address structural inequalities that limit the success of immigrant and minority growers and uplift farmer knowledge, which has been systemically valued below that of academic knowledge. Agroecologists who work at the synthesis of science, movement, and practice propose wisdom dialogues and horizontalism as principles by which to develop collaborations that avoid reinforcing structural inequalities due to race, gender, and traditions of valuing academic knowledge above that of farmers. Public entities, such as land grant universities and state agencies, have a particular responsibility to address structural inequalities and serve the diversity of farmers in their region. This study examines the use of collaborative learning processes, such as wisdom dialogues and horizontalism, by public and non-profit professionals in their collaborations with a group of immigrant farmers in the Upper Midwest. We used a qualitative interview approach with two farmers, two of their advisers, and eight of their collaborators at the University of Minnesota Extension, Department of Agriculture, and a local agricultural non-profit. Through the interviews we examined each of their perspectives on current and potential collaborations by discussing the motivations, resources, and effects for and of collaboration between immigrant farmers and farm support professionals. Farmer interviewees emphasized that collaborations between immigrant and non-immigrant individuals and groups must develop with non-exploitative motivations and preparation undertaken by non-immigrant individuals to better understand the experience of immigrant farmer prior to engaging in collaboration. Emergent themes from interviews with non-farmers included a strong commitment to providing access to knowledge and resources, and recognition that collaboration improved the ability to accomplish institutional goals, indicating use of wisdom dialogues and horizontal learning at varying levels within current work. Interviewees emphasized that institutional support was an important determinant for how much they could prioritize relationships and collaboration in their work. Based on interviewees' experiences, support and continued opportunities for learning are critical to facilitate continued use of wisdom dialogues and horizontalism to address different conceptions of equity and equality, and for developing intentional and mutually beneficial collaborations.

Abstract 5967: ROSA: An ambassador program facilitating bidirectional partnerships between communities and basic scientists

Abstract Background: Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is integral in NCI-designated Cancer Centers. COEs work with community stakeholders identifying community needs, communicating research, and catalyzing significant activities to Cancer Center’s catchment areas. To facilitate this, the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) Office of COE established the Research Outreach for Southern Arizona (ROSA) program, supporting bidirectional partnerships between basic scientists and underrepresented communities in catchment areas. Objective: To describe a community and student ambassador program developed as ROSA, bridging gaps between basic science programs and community needs in UACC catchment areas. Methods: The UACC catchment areas include five southern Arizona counties where 40% of residents are Hispanic, compared to 18.3% in the US. Moreover, ambassadors were bilingual/bicultural Hispanic undergraduate students (n=4) and Hispanic community members (n=4). The ambassador program held weekly cancer educational discussions, research methods, monthly Meet the Scientist events, and presentations on experiences. Evaluations for ROSA were completed by all affiliates. Results: Overall, ROSA ambassadors reported increased knowledge of research and increased confidence sharing cancer information. Facilitators of ROSA community members included a bilingual/bicultural team, outreach collaborations, and participant compensation. Barriers included payments for undocumented members, lack of Spanish-speaking scientists, and reduced in-person activities. As a result of ROSA partnerships, scientists, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders is developing Scientific Cafes where scientists present research proposals for community feedback. The workgroup will select a community-driven project to implement in the future. Discussion: Based on positive ambassador evaluations and working group collaborations, ROSA is successful in growing authentic partnerships between scientists and communities. Recently, a community-based survey was developed by members to examine perceptions of cancer and willingness of clinical research participation. This survey will inform how basic scientists align research within community needs. ROSA will continue to be valuable in providing bidirectional engagement from basic scientists and community members in cancer research. Citation Format: Gabriela Ruiz, MEd., Amanda Lee. ROSA: An ambassador program facilitating bidirectional partnerships between communities and basic scientists [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5967.

An Algorithm for Free Clinic Deployment: Bridging the Gap in Healthcare Access in Rural Pennsylvania

Student-run free clinics play an essential role in meeting the needs of underserved populations while providing service-learning opportunities to health professions students. While these clinics have been an asset for many institutions, the success hinges on the successful selection of clinic locations, studying resource utilization, the receptiveness of the local population, and effective strategic planning. The Student-led and Collaborative Outreach Program for Health Equity (SCOPE) Free Mobile Clinic at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine was established in 2017 to address the needs of underserved populations in Central Pennsylvania. Starting from one clinic, SCOPE has grown to twelve different sites across the county and has addressed different needs in diverse populations from rural to urban. The clinic has reached 435 individuals, provided 95 consultations with attending physicians, and distributed more than 120 vaccinations in the three years it has been fully active. During its evolution, the organization has developed a guidance algorithm that is critical to its operations and expansion initiatives. This algorithm has enabled strategic community resource deployment, garnered interest from private nonprofit collaboration and local government investment. Based on objective data, we identified new patient populations and clinic sites. Here we describe our experience developing and utilizing our deployment algorithm and the challenges and lessons we learned in growing a novel clinic model in a rural landscape.

Implementation of a pharmacy-led virtual academic detailing program at the US Veterans Health Administration.

To provide a summary of the implementation of a virtual academic detailing pilot program at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In September 2018, VA Pharmacy Benefits Management implemented a virtual academic detailing ("e-Detailing") pilot program across 3 regional networks. Academic detailing involves multifaceted collaborative outreach delivered by trained healthcare clinicians to other clinicians using targeted educational interventions that improve clinical decision-making. Across VA, academic detailing programs are primarily staffed by specially trained clinical pharmacist specialists. Implementation began with an in-person meeting to train academic detailers on using the virtual academic detailing platform (VA Video Connect) and virtual soft skills, which was followed by regular facilitation meetings to address issues and share experiences. During e-Detailing program implementation, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, prompting the US Department of Health and Human Services to declare a public health emergency. VA followed with restrictions on nonessential travel for all employees, thus hampering in-person academic detailing activities. Fortunately, e-Detailing provided an alternative channel for academic detailers across VA to continue delivering critical outreach to providers during the pandemic. Qualitative assessment of academic detailers' and providers' perceptions on e-Detailing highlighted the need for local leadership support for e-Detailing and telehealth, the efficiency of virtual compared to in-person visits, and potential time savings resulting from avoidance of long commutes. The timing of e-Detailing implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the need and potential for a virtual platform to deliver timely provider outreach.

Veterans and Suicide: An Integrative Review of Risk Factors and Suicide Reduction Services.

Suicide has quickly risen to be among the top threats to humanity the world over, which is most certainly the case for American veterans. Literature has well documented that veterans are at increased suicide risk due to numerous factors associated with military culture. This article examines veterans' suicide reduction services by addressing the identification of veterans at elevated risk of suicide and assessing public-private partnership models that promote effective collaborative outreach and treatment. Essentially, this work appraises the development and procedures of multi-organization systems collaborating to impart novel and effective processes to eliminate suicide as intended by Past-President Trump's Executive Order No. 13,861.1 The essential risk factors associated with the identification of veterans at elevated risk of suicide are reviewed. Public-private partnership models that encourage collaborative and effective outreach and treatment are examined. The implications of this literature review will support mental health providers, researchers, and policymakers in innovative, collaborative, and effective suicide prevention and intervention practices for veterans. Directions for future research are identified to further contribute to efforts to empower veterans and eliminate suicide.

Using focus groups to evaluate a multiyear consumer health outreach collaboration.

Objectives:Academic health sciences librarians sought to evaluate the efficacy and future of the Health Information Specialists Program, a five-year consumer health information outreach collaboration with public libraries across the state.Methods:Five focus groups were held with participants from all five years of the program. Thirty-four participants from the program attended. Facilitators used structured interview guides consisting of eleven questions regarding the impact of the collaboration on participants' abilities to connect themselves or others to health information; the usefulness of materials or knowledge gained and its applications; any consumer health outreach projects that arose from the program; and suggestions for future topics, formats, or modifications. Data was hand-coded and analyzed using the framework analysis methodology for qualitative research.Results:Participants reported feeling improved confidence and comfort in providing health information services to their patrons. Numerous instances of knowledge transfer—in their personal lives, with their colleagues, and for their patrons—were described. Participants reported improved abilities to both find and evaluate consumer health information, and many adapted class materials for their own programming or teaching. Suggestions were provided for future class topics as well as a program website.Conclusion:Based on data from the five focus groups, the Health Information Specialists Program has positively impacted participants in a number of ways. Primary among these were self-reported improvement in both health information retrieval skills and the ability to evaluate the reliability of health information online, as well as in the confidence to help patrons with their health information needs.

Last Generation Solar Cells in Outer Space: A STEM Outreach Project with Middle and High School Students in Colombia

As part of an unprecedented collaborative outreach effort, we implemented an innovative STEM outreach project, where more than 80 middle and high school students from different traditionally underrepresented school districts in Colombia -with no previous knowledge on material science or photovoltaics- created Last Generation Solar Cells (LGSCs) that were part of several suborbital spaceflight missions. As a result, the students were able to contrast visual and instrumental data obtained from the solar cells and modules that were launched to space with similar samples that remained on earth to measure the degradation that occurs during spaceflight conditions. At the same time, the students that participated were able to cultivate their curiosity, strengthen their scientific skills and increase their interest in pursuing careers in STEM fields. These experiences were possible thanks to an extraordinary collaborative network between public and private entities and the use of project-based education as a powerful driver of development, especially for low-to-middle-income countries, such as Colombia. Here, we share our methodology for constructing photovoltaic devices in rural settings, and we show the progression and impact of this novel scientific outreach project.

Teaching Magnetoelectric Sensing to Secondary School Students-Considerations for Educational STEM Outreach.

A major challenge in modern society is the need to increase awareness and excitement with regard to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and related careers directly or among peers and parents in order to attract future generations of scientists and engineers. The numbers of students aiming for an engineering degree are low compared to the options available and the workforce needed. This may, in part, be due to a traditional lack of instruction in this area in secondary school curricula. In this regard, STEM outreach programs can complement formal learning settings and help to promote engineering as well as science to school students. In a long-term outreach collaboration with scientists and engineers, we developed an outreach program in the field of magnetoelectric sensing that includes an out-of-school project day and various accompanying teaching materials. In this article, we motivate the relevance of the topic for educational outreach, share the rationales, objectives and aims, models and implementation strategies of our program and provide practical advice for those interested in outreach in the field of magnetoelectric sensing.

How professionalisation of outreach practitioners could improve the quality of evaluation and evidence: a proposal

ABSTRACT Professionalising outreach and evaluation work would enhance the quality and rigour of provision, benefit widening participation students and achieve regulatory requirements (Bowes et al. [2019]. The National Collaborative Outreach Programme End of Phase 1 report for the national formative and impact evaluations. Office for Students; Rainford [2020]. “Working with/in institutions: how policy enactment in widening participation is shaped through practitioners’ experience.” British Journal of Sociology of Education 42 (2): 287–303). This article presents practitioners’ experiences of how social justice can often feel unaligned to the technical expertise required in rigorous project design and evaluation. Professionalising outreach would achieve both improved practice and meet practitioners’ needs for development and a united professional voice. A professional body sharing standard methods of practice, offering CPD and skills would elevate outreach practitioners to a ‘professional’ standing (Eraut [1994]. Developing professional knowledge and competence. Falmer Press).

Improving partnerships in rural communities: Organizing approaches for improved effectiveness and reach of rural nutrition programs

ABSTRACT How local initiatives organize to address community issues can impact project success. Hunger alleviation programs serving high poverty, rural populations rarely reach full participation and often do not coordinate services. This paper is a summary of findings from a three-year study of 15 regional partnerships working to improve participation in, and communication between federal assistance programs addressing childhood food insecurity in high poverty, rural areas. The regional partnerships explored organizing structures and collaborative outreach methods to improve program reach and involvement. Most partnership teams addressed community connections by organizing coalitions or working with existing coalitions. Partnership coalitions improved over the duration of this study by increasing attention to organizational structure, purpose, and group processes. In addition, all partnerships used technology and digital media to expand outreach, communication, and coordination. Results included expanded partnership collaboration, increased program participation, and expanded promotion through creative outreach strategies to engage community members.