Community-university Partnership Research Articles

Research with youth of color in low-income communities: Strategies for recruiting and retaining participants.

BackgroundYouth of color from low-income urban communities are crucial participants in research, as their involvement can shape effective, culturally responsive interventions and policy to promote youth health and well-being. These young people, however, are an often-neglected research population, due in part to perceived challenges associated with their inclusion as well as marginalized communities’ justifiable mistrust of research.ObjectivesBased on our experience conducting a school-based randomized intervention trial in Baltimore, Maryland, we present strategies for conducting research with low-income, urban youth of color. We discuss strategies in three domains: university-community partnership development, participant recruitment, and participant retention.MethodsWe reviewed partnership building and recruitment strategies employed by our team across four years of trial implementation and evaluated success of participant retention at our final survey timepoint.ResultsPartnership building was facilitated by selection of a study design that maximized benefits for all participants, promotion of capacity building at partner institutions, and attention to research staff hiring and training practices. Effective study recruitment strategies included personal contact with parents and close cooperation between school personnel and study staff. Providing incentives and collecting multiple types of participant contact information contributed to increased retention rates. On average, those who participated in the final survey timepoint were less likely to be male and Latinx and exhibited more favorable baseline mental health than those who did not, suggesting differential attrition based on youth characteristics.ConclusionsLessons learned from this school-based trial can be applied more broadly to research with low-income urban youth of color. Researchers should strive to maximize scientific rigor, minimize harm to vulnerable adolescents and their communities, promote positive research experiences for young people, and provide concrete benefits to those who participate.

Gown Goes to Town: Negotiating Mutually Beneficial Relationships between College Students, City Planners, and a Historically Marginalized African-American Neighborhood

University–community partnerships have long sought to develop interventions to empower historically marginalized community members. However, there is limited critical attention to tensions faced when community engaged courses support urban planning initiatives in communities of color. This article explores how three Florida State University planning classes sought to engage the predominantly African-American Griffin Heights community in Tallahassee, Florida. Historically, African-American communities have been marginalized from the planning process, undermining community trust and constraining city planning capacity to effectively engage and plan with African-American community members. In this context, there are opportunities for planning departments with relationships in the African-American community to facilitate more extensive community engagement and urban design processes that interface with broader city planning programs. However, mediating relationships between the community and the city within the context of applied planning classes presents unique challenges. Although city planners have increasingly adopted the language of community engagement, many processes remain inflexible, bureaucratic, and under resourced. Reliance on inexperienced students to step in as community bridges may also limit the effectiveness of community engagement. Thus, while community engaged courses create opportunities to facilitate community empowerment, they also at times risk perpetuating the disenfranchisement of African-American community members in city planning processes.

Practice-Based Politicization: Planning Reports as Actants in a University–Community Partnership

We look at a yearlong university–community partnership’s potential to create more equitable planning practices through an analysis of the sub-genres of student-generated planning reports. Using an actor–network approach to identify four different kinds of reports (manual, boundary object, framing, catalyst), we find that both the content of these reports and their translational work in existing practice-based networks can influence student learning and planning practices—what we term practice-based politicization—by defining, aligning, enrolling, and mobilizing. Ultimately, the relational context of these partnerships is essential to their effectiveness, suggesting that longer term engagements between university programs and their community partners are more likely to support mutual learning and deepen students’ pedagogical exposure to both an agonistic and collaborative approach to planning practice.

Tear Down Those Walls: the Future of Graduate Education in Child and Family Advocacy

The future of graduate education in child welfare requires specialized advanced degrees that are defined by interprofessional training and education. Disrupting the current silos in graduate education will result in a workforce able to integrate knowledge across disciplines with the ultimate goals of ending child abuse and neglect and improving outcomes for families. Although there are numerous challenges to implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in this context, research and existing programs highlight the potential for comprehensive reform of current practice and education. The authors describe a university-community partnership model for a master’s degree program in child and family advocacy that exemplifies the opportunities and value of IPE. In so doing, they articulate an approach for addressing historical barriers from academia and professional disciplines to disrupt traditional structures and move towards a twenty-first century model of workforce development that best serves the needs of vulnerable, high-risk families.

Factors that Influenced Adoption of a School-Based Trauma-Informed Universal Mental Health Intervention.

We know little about why school administrators choose to adopt preventive mental health interventions within the context of school-based prevention trials. This study used a qualitative multiple-case study design to identify factors that influenced the adoption of a trauma-informed universal intervention by urban public school administrators during an efficacy trial. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 school administrators who adopted a trauma-informed mindfulness intervention called RAP (Relax, be Aware, and do a Personal Rating) Club as part of their participation in a school-based trial with eighth graders. Findings indicated that administrators adopted RAP Club to provide support for students affected by trauma and prevent students from engaging in unhealthy coping behaviors. Examples of contextual factors that contributed to adoption included a lack of trauma-informed mental health programs within schools, inadequate district funding for preventive school mental health services, and the perceived benefits of engaging in a university-community partnership. The study's findings suggest strategies to increase school program adoption in the context of research and, more broadly, for implementation science.

Fostering University-Community Partnership in the Biomedical & Health Service Research in the UAE: Prospects for Change

Fostering University-Community Partnership in the Biomedical & Health Service Research in the UAE: Prospects for Change

Parental Cultural Socialization Practices among Underrepresented Ethnoracial Groups in a Predominantly White Rural College Community

Prior research indicates that parents adapt their cultural socialization approaches to their community contexts, however few studies have directly examined the influence of the community context in increasingly diverse rural communities in the United States. This study examined parental cultural socialization practices among individuals from underrepresented ethnoracial groups and the perceived influence of their predominantly White rural community. Parents employed at a university in the Northeast of the U.S. participated in this study which involved in-depth semi-structured interviews and used Grounded Theory as the analytic approach. Findings include three interrelated themes: (1) the community context increased ethnic and racial identity salience, (2) parents exerted deliberate efforts to culturally socialize their children and to teach their children to develop an appreciation for diversity, multiculturalism and inclusivity, and (3) parental cultural socialization behaviors were influenced by the 2016 presidential campaign and election. The findings show that the hegemonic, White-normative and exclusionary environment created in part by the demographics of this community influenced how they socialized their children about their cultural group memberships. The findings also suggest that community-university partnerships, support to families from underrepresented ethnoracial groups and community diversity education are promising strategies to strengthen community relations.

Building community-engaged practicum units through anchor institutions: The case of Southside Initiative

ABSTRACT This article provides the assessment results from a community-engaged field education unit for social work students situated within a neighborhood setting in the South-Central region of the United States. A community-university partnership between several community institutions and a school of social work created the Southside Initiative (SSI) as a means to build capacity within the Oaks neighborhood. This neighborhood lacked professional social workers but was rich in other types of assets. The lessons learned from this initiative provide preliminary understanding about the benefits, complexity, and challenges of building and sustaining community-rooted practicum placements in neighborhood settings.

FitSkills: protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a community-based exercise programme to increase participation among young people with disability

IntroductionThere is a need to develop relevant, acceptable initiatives that facilitate physical activity participation in young people with disability. FitSkills was developed to support young people with disability to exercise....

Addressing injustice in green infrastructure through socio-ecological practice: What is the role of university–community partnerships?

University–community partnerships provide a valuable mechanism to support socio-ecological practice to address complex urban water issues. University–community partnerships have the potential to become a model for engagement that can be replicated to enhance participation around green infrastructure (GI), to expand access to GI in disadvantaged communities, and ultimately, to mitigate injustice and heighten urban resilience. In this Perspective, we describe our team’s experience designing and leading a university–community partnership to better understand injustices in GI planning, design, and implementation, and to help mitigate those injustices, in Tucson, Arizona, US. We build from scholarship on university–community partnerships and draw from our involvement to highlight three keys lessons for successful partnerships: (1) understanding and valuing the socio-ecological context; (2) investing, and reinvesting, in the collaborative process; and (3) embracing a diverse set of roles for universities.

The SOAR Model as an Effective Mechanism for University–Community Partnerships to End Homelessness

ABSTRACT University social work programs can play a critical role in helping communities to expand local capacity in efforts to end homelessness. The Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) program is an evidence-based model that social work programs are advancing through university–community partnerships. SOAR seeks to prevent and end homelessness through increased access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for people suffering from chronic homelessness and who also have a disability. This article uses a case study approach to describe an initiative of the National Center on Excellence in Homeless Services designed to use social work education as a mechanism to build local capacity for using SOAR.

Contributors

Contributors

Hybrid Participation Forums:

This article presents the results of a Project process held in the under-spaces of two viaducts in the Laranjeiras district in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This process is part of a community-university partnership project, the “Square, the Street and the District”, which has been developed by students and professors of different fields and courses. This project aims to emphasize the relevance of interventions in the cities are made by a direct mode of popular participation, both in the elaboration and in the implementation of landscape architecture and urban proposals. A collaborative process was shaped to embody the notion that there is a “local knowledge, which is nurtured by the daily life”, as Milton Santos (1997, p.7) argues. Here, we narrate the methodological construction and the process of design experience in this case at the Laranjeiras.district. With this, we expect to demonstrate how the design and building of the city can be developed thorough participative and collaborative processes. The existence of an assembled and well informed project can be an environment to foster discussion so that more just and appropriate solutions may get forge.

Patterns of distributive environmental inequity under different PM2.5 air pollution scenarios for Salt Lake County public schools

Previous studies have cataloged social disparities in air pollution exposure in US public schools with respect to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. These studies rely upon chronic, averaged measures of air pollution, which fosters a static conception of exposure disparities. This paper examines PM2.5 exposure disparities in Salt Lake County (SLC), Utah public schools under three different PM2.5 scenarios—relatively clean air, a moderate winter persistent cold air pool (PCAP), and a major winter PCAP—with respect to race/ethnicity, economic deprivation, student age, and school type. We pair demographic data for SLC schools (n = 174) with modelled PM2.5 values, obtained from a distributed network of sensors placed through a community-university partnership. Results from generalized estimating equations controlling for school district clustering and other covariates reveal that patterns of social inequality vary under different PM2.5 pollution scenarios. Charter schools and schools serving economically deprived students experienced disproportionate exposure during relatively clean air and moderate PM2.5 PCAP conditions, but those inequalities attenuated under major PCAP conditions. Schools with higher proportions of racial/ethnic minority students were unequally exposed under all PM2.5 pollution scenarios, reflecting the robustness of racial/ethnic disparities in exposure. The findings speak to the need for policy changes to protect school-aged children from environmental harm in SLC and elsewhere.

Lifelong Learning

The issues facing communities, particularly urban communities, often elicit demands for action and positive social change. These demands create challenges and opportunities for universitycommunity partnerships grounded in relationship-building processes. Addressing the immediate and pressing concerns of communities, while building mutually beneficial relationships requires more than modifying an existing process; it requires innovative solutions based on systems change.

Speaking Up, Speaking Out

This article provides a reflection from two urban education doctoral students regarding their learning experiences and understandings about the inquiry process of community engaged research. They shared their thinking about their understanding about connections between theory and practice in community engaged work. As doctoral students, they value the expertise and guidance of mentor researchers because this is an important resource in the development and growth of a community engaged researcher. The doctoral students shared their knowledge about the importance of community asset mapping and focusing on the strengths and values that are already present in the community. Another important aspect of community engaged research is building trust in community-university partnerships. One tool that helps establish that trust is the use of community conversations. These two doctoral students explored a series of questions as part of their ongoing journey in becoming community engaged researchers.

Coalescing investments in school mental health in South Carolina.

Improving child and adolescent mental health requires states and jurisdictions to invest in school mental health efforts. In recent years, there has been notable expansion and improvement in school mental health services in the state of South Carolina related to a number of investments that are cumulatively promoting capacity building. This narrative overview examines the history of the school mental health movement in one southern state and details efforts by multiple key stakeholders that have coalesced to form a strong system for advancing school mental health. Resting on a strong university-community partnership, five separate initiatives are described that together provide enhanced workforce training and support and expansion of school mental health services. Themes of this work are identified with a goal of supporting and advancing the development of school mental health systems in the United States. Strong collaborations and communication efforts both within the university setting and between partners in education and community settings, along with engaged funders keen to enhance well-being of children, youth, and families statewide have set the stage for the growth and expansion of school mental health services.

Consultation as a Powerful Tool in Community–University Partnerships: Introduction to the Special Issue

ABSTRACT This article introduces the special topic issue “Educational and Psychological Consultation within Community–University Partnerships.” The special issue provides a forum for scholars and readers to consider consultation as a powerful and practical tool that can be used in community–university partnerships (CUPs). In this article, we will introduce the concept of CUPs and situate them in the broader movement toward universities engaging communities for mutual benefit and the common good. Then, we will preview the collection of articles found in this special issue. Together, the contributions of these scholars provide concrete examples and conceptual models that other faculty can use in their own practice as scholars, educators, and citizens.

Community-University Partnership Characteristics for Translation: Evidence From CDC's Prevention Research Centers.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program supports community engagement and partnerships to translate health evidence into practice. Translation is dependent on the quality of partnerships. However, questions remain about the necessary characteristics to develop and maintain translation partnerships.Aim: To identify the characteristics that influence community-university partnerships and examine alignment with the Knowledge to Action (K2A) Framework.Methods: Final Progress Reports (N = 37) from PRCs funded from September 2009 to September 2014 were reviewed in 2016–2017 to determine eligibility. Eligible PRCs included those that translated an innovation following the applied research phase (2009–2014) of the PRC award (n = 12). The PRCs and the adopters (i.e., community organizations) were recruited and participated in qualitative interviews in 2017.Results: Ten PRCs (83.3% response rate) and four adopters participated. Twelve codes (i.e., elements) were found that impacted partnerships along the translation continuum (e.g., adequate communication, technical assistance). Each element aligned with the K2A Framework at multiple steps within the translation phase. The intersection between the element and step in the translation phase is termed a “characteristic.” Using interview data, fifty-two unique partnership characteristics for translation were found.Discussion and Conclusion: The results suggest multiple characteristics that impact translation partnerships. The inclusion of these partnership characteristics in policies and practices that seek to move practice-based or research-based evidence into widespread use may impact the receptivity by partners and evidence uptake by communities. Using the K2A Framework to assess translation partnerships was helpful and could be considered in process evaluations to inform translation partnership improvement.

Retail Food Environment Intervention Planning: Interviews With Owners and Managers of Small- and Medium-Sized Rural Food Stores.

Retail food environments are an important setting for promoting healthier diets and reducing the global burden of diet-related disease. The purpose of this 2-year community-university partnership was to develop a health promotion intervention for stores in a rural and remote region of British Columbia, Canada. This article reports on the qualitative interviews that were conducted with retail operators as part of an intervention planning process. Seven in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with store owners and managers of small- and medium-sized stores in a rural and remote region. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify business operations and practices relevant to intervention planning and implementation. Relevant considerations for health promotion planners included the unique business models of rural stores; the prominence of regional travel and "outshopping" in rural and remote regions; challenges balancing between choice, value, and profitability; relationships with suppliers; and using local products to attract and retain customers. Involving retailers in settings-based approaches to improve population nutrition may help to mobilize existing practices and ensure that interventions are responsive to local context.