The Community-Engaged Lab: A Case-Study Introduction for Developmental Science

Background: The perspectives of community partners about their experiences working with medical students and how service-learning experiences affect the communities they serve remains understudied. Objective: This study addressed gaps in the literature by reporting on in-depth interviews conducted with community partners who participated in a well-established medical school service-learning programme. Design: A qualitative study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews and an edited coding strategy. Setting: A convenience sample was recruited from a database of organisations working with the medical school’s service-learning organisation. Method: Between 2017 and 2020, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with community-based organisation partners who worked with medical students through a service-learning initiative in an urban, underserved area of New Jersey, USA. The authors coded transcripts and identified themes after extensive reading, reflection and team discussion of transcripts and coded text. Authors confirmed thematic saturation after 20 interviews with 21 participants representing 18 different agencies. Results: Three main themes were developed: (1) medical students as role models, (2) community partners’ role in shaping medical student education, and (3) reciprocity between community-based organisations and the service-learning programme. Participants found that medical students connected well with young clients and motivated them to pursue higher education or healthcare careers especially when they had a shared ethnic or cultural background. Community partners helped medical students better understand ethnically and socioeconomically diverse communities from a whole-person perspective. Participants described collaborative learning and reciprocity between the service-learning programme and community-based organisations as a ‘win-win’ situation – with clients, the organisation and medical students all benefitting. Conclusion: Findings illustrate the importance of reciprocity between medical students and community partners. Incorporating partners in the design and evaluation of service-learning programmes is essential to understanding how community and academic health centres can better collaborate to promote health equity.

Background Research suggests that schools’ capacity to successfully implement and sustain reform programs may rest, in part, with district-level facilitation. The importance of district leadership has been established for a variety of educational reforms, including school, family, and community partnerships. However, few studies have been conducted to understand how successful district leaders implement and sustain school, family, and community partnerships as an educational reform. Focus of Study This case study seeks to fill this gap. It describes leadership strategies employed by the office of parent involvement in an urban school district in the United States. More specifically, this article focuses on the collaborative relationship between the office of parent involvement and a community-based parent involvement organization (CPIO). Research Design The study employed a multiple case study design, which included interviews with district, school, and parent leaders; observations of workshops, meetings, presentations, and other work-related activities of key district-level respondents; document collection and review; and school site visits. Findings Analyses suggest that the collaboration between the district's office of parent involvement and the CPIO has helped to support and sustain school, family, and community partnerships as a reform initiative for nearly a decade. The relationship has resulted in (1) complementary parent leadership training for school-based partnership teams, (2) joint planning and implementation of districtwide partnership activities, and (3) community advocacy for district partnership personnel and resources.

Abstract: Background: Including community partners in interprofessional education (IPE) activities for health care trainees can engage students in learning experiences that engender an authentic appreciation for serving community health needs. Although such endeavors aim for mutual benefit for all participating partners, tools to assess the value of engagement with community partners could enhance transparency and follow-through for assessing the benefits of participation for the community partners. Objectives: Based on a give–get grid used to describe participants’ expectations relative to IPE experiences, we developed a gave–got grid. It was used to evaluate community partners’ experiences and outcomes after engaging in community–academic partnerships. Methods: Initial give–get grids completed by community partners were used to develop a gave–got grid, which served as a template for interviewing key community partner leaders after receipt of the project deliverable. Qualitative interviews were conducted and evaluated for common themes. Results: Four community partners completed gave–got interviews and noted that their contributions to the IPE program were substantial and acceptable in relation to their gains. They identified valuable participation outcomes, including fresh perspectives on their organizations’ work, inspiration from diverse health professions trainees, trainees’ expertise in bettering their community’s health, and receiving essential deliverables for their community populations. Conclusions: Developing transparent aims that clearly outline what each community partner will give and what they hope to receive before engaging students in a learning experience can be mutually beneficial in developing community partnerships for Interprofessional Education. Such practices can enhance mutual understanding, respect, and responsiveness among health care trainees, community organizations, and their constituents.

This case study describes a 20-year journey of educational transformation from 1985 to 2005 in a bellwether, or highly developed, instance of one school, family, and community partnership—the Kileely Community Project— situated in a large social housing project in Limerick City in the Midwestern region of the Republic of Ireland. The study is a narrative account of how a declining elementary school struggled against the odds to become a vibrant community learning center. Guided by a mix of feminist emancipatory research and socioecological and social capital theories, the study yielded findings on the hidden potential of patience combined with hope as a catalyst for changing the ways that learners learn and teachers teach, for building commitment to sustainable learning, for working for change in community teams through collective intelligence, for building a capacity for change and risk, and for fostering trust and respect in relationships. Implications are discussed for the development, growth, and sustainability of family, school, and community partnerships.

This paper examines the debate over the place of “companion animal” public space in China’s cities. With the COVID-19 outbreak, this debate has entered a new phase, where the social response to the outbreak may have fundamentally changed the public’s use and perception of “companion animal” public and pseudo-public space. This paper combines quantitative and qualitative analysis of posts and comments on two of China’s largest social media platforms with a big data approach, based on a case study in Beijing, China. There were statistically significant differences in the perception and use of “companion animal” public spaces and pseudo-public spaces before and after the pandemic. We attribute the impact of the pandemic on “companion animal” spaces to three pathways: changes in opportunity, changes in ability, and changes in motivation. We found that the pandemic led to an increase in the amount of time available to some people but a decrease in the amount of “companion animal” public space available due to the pandemic closure. In addition, the use of “companion animal” public spaces in pseudo-public spaces declined, while those located within the open urban green space on the city’s outskirts stood out after the outbreak. With the normalisation of the pandemic, there will be new challenges for the development and operation of companion-animal-related public spaces in cities, which will be the next focus of research. In addition, governments and social media should work together to promote and support sustainable animal ethical practices to better respond to the crisis. These findings will help complement the urban services system and guide future planning, design, and evaluation of related spaces.

COVID-19 vaccines offer hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we document key lessons learned as we continue to confront COVID-19 variants and work to adapt our vaccine outreach strategies to best serve our community. In the fall of 2020, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity at Johns Hopkins Medicine, in collaboration with the Office of Government and Community Affairs for Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, established the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Community Education and Outreach Initiative in partnership with faith and community leaders, local and state government representatives, and community-based organizations. Working with community and government partnerships established before COVID-19 enabled our team to quickly build infrastructure focused on COVID-19 vaccine education and equity. These partnerships resulted in the development and implementation of web-based educational content, major culturally adapted media campaigns (reaching more than 200,000 individuals), community and faith education outreach, youth-focused initiatives, and equity-focused mobile vaccine clinics. The community mobile vaccine clinics vaccinated over 3,000 people in the first 3 months. Of these, 90% identified as persons of color who have been disproportionately impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic-government-community partnerships are vital to ensure health equity. Community partnerships, education events, and open dialogues were conducted between the community and medical faculty. Using nontraditional multicultural media venues enabled us to reach many community members and facilitated informed decisionmaking. Additionally, an equitable COVID-19 vaccine policy requires attention to vaccine access as well as access to sound educational information. Our initiative has been thoughtful about using various types of vaccination sites, mobile vaccine units, and flexible hours of operation.

IntroductionNIH’s Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) program aims to 1) develop, share, and evaluate community-led health equity structural interventions that leverage partnerships across multiple sectors to reduce...

St. Louis, Missouri, sits astride the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, a position that made the city the “Gateway to the West.” Its most famous monument, the Gateway Arch, memorializes the millions of pioneers who traveled to the city seeking transportation to the frontier lands of the West, and who were outfitted with the tools and knowledge they needed on the journey to these new lands of opportunity. The Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program has enabled Washington University (WU) and its regional partners to create a gateway of another sort, aimed at helping researchers toward new opportunities and discoveries in clinical and translational research. The Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) was founded in September 2007 to serve as the intellectual and physical home for clinical and translational research and clinical research training at WU and its partner institutions. ICTS was founded on WU's 4 prior clinical research and training grants—GCRC, K12, K30, and T32—and on an existing university-wide strategic initiative in multidisciplinary collaborative research emphasizing genome sciences, biological imaging, and clinical investigation. The formation of the ICTS resulted in a new level of regional partnership with other academic, health care, and industrial and community partners. In its second year of existence, the ICTS is increasingly able to integrate the different strengths of its partners to reach its goals of reinventing and reinvigorating CTS research and training. In designing the ICTS, we used a conceptual model that identified important phases in the progress of a clinical or translational research project (Figure 1). For each phase, we identifed needed resources and potential barriers to completion, and have structured the ICTS in a way that attempts to provide needed resources and expertise for each phase of research from development and refinement of research ideas through translation of results to clinical practice and community implementation. Education, training, and career development are at the heart of our ICTS, and are linked to all research phases and programmatic activities. Our ICTS has 15 key Program Functions, each linked to 1 or more research phases, and each with specific goals, milestones, and evaluation criteria for various services, cores, and programs. We will highlight 2 new and important program functions below: our community-based research efforts and our programs in biomedical informatics. Phases in the evolution of clinical research projects. The 3 CCBR arms serve as a model for community participation to improve research relevant to public health. A central transformative element offour ICTS was the establishment of the Center for Community-Based Research (CCBR), which has initiated community engagement ef orts in 3 important groups: community organizations, community-based health care providers, and individuals from medically underserved populations. Each of the 3 arms is designed to solicit community input to increase the relevance of research to community needs, and to encourage partnerships between academic researchers and community groups. Our Community Advisory Board, established by the 3 arms, meets quarterly, to ensure relevance of the CCBR programs and the ICTS programs as a whole. The Community Organizations program has focused on cultivating partnerships with community organizations and conducting community needs assessments. This new model has spearheaded a series of conferences with our Regional Health Commission to address how our academic medical center can better serve the needs of our local community and improve the public health. In the fall of 2009, we will begin a series of shared conferences with community organizations highlighting successful community-based participatory research projects. These conferences will include joint presentations by academics and community partners and will strive to facilitate the formation of new partnerships. To further stimulate new community-based participatory research projects, we will soon initiate a research grants program, supported by a regional coalition of universities and health care institutions, to fund research projects that include a high degree of cooperation between community organizations and academic researchers. The program has also initiated a traveling poster presentation forum that translates data in a community relevant fashion. The Community Health Care Practitioners program seeks to expand community networks of practitioners to increase opportunities for clinical and translational (T2 and T3) research. One such effort is the Washington University Pediatric and Adolescent Ambulatory Research Consortium (WU PAARC). Currently comprised of approximately 60 community pediatricians and 5 pediatric nurse practitioners, the network provides a formal structure to develop research ef orts that identify best practices and translate research findings into practice. Community pediatricians participate in the consortium in different ways, from contributing ideas and receiving study updates to helping develop study protocols and recruit patients from their practices. Some studies are initiated by WU PAARC physicians, such as a recent study on a Telephone Asthma Program that resulted from physicians’ frustration with patients not using their asthma maintenance medications. For this randomized controlled trial, 362 families with asthmatic children were recruited from 95 community pediatric offices over 13 months. The 12-month telephone asthma coaching intervention helped parents better manage their child's asthma care and improved children's asthma control and parents’ quality-of-life scores. An upcoming study will compare 2 corticosteroid treatments for croup, a disease commonly seen in community practice but never before studied in this setting. In addition to WU PAARC-sponsored studies, community pediatricians have opportunities to participate in other studies developed by ICTS researchers including participating in study development and implementation. An example is a prevalence study for community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staph aureu s for which 1,300 children were recruited from 11 WU PAARC practices over an 8-month period. WU PAARC serves as a model for cooperative research between academic and community physicians, and these examples show how those involved have a real opportunity to improve the health of children and adolescents. As our ICTS matures, we plan to expand our practice-based research network activities to include new patient and provider populations. The CCBR has also started HealthStreet, a project linking populations that have been underrepresented in research to health information, referrals to social, medical, and psychiatric services, as well as opportunities to participate in research studies. HealthStreet utilizes Community Health Workers and a comprehensive outreach approach to establish trust between the lay and medical communities. The hub of CCBR activity is a new storefront facility in an underserved neighborhood near our medical center where community members can receive free health screenings, health referrals, and information about WU clinical studies. Community Health Workers also reach people in sites such as beauty shops, laundromats, bus stops, and community agencies to spread the word about services offered, and opportunities for research. The 3 CCBR arms serve as a model for community participation to improve research relevant to public health. CCBR investigators are actively training and engaging other ICTS investigators to collaborate on community-based projects with the goal of addressing “outcomes that matter.” Major institutional goals for improving CTS research are the creation of efficient communication and coordination across key function activities; the creation of an informatics infrastructure capable of integrating ICTS program components for data sharing; and the development of electronic resources of existing clinical and biospecimen data that may be used to develop new clinical studies, identify potential research participants, and execute novel molecular correlative studies. The ICTS Center for Biomedical Informatics (CBMI) is addressing these complex core issues through industry-standard hardware infrastructure and software tools to store, integrate, query, analyze, and visualize complex clinical and molecular data sets. Among the several activities of CBMI are the integration and implementation of the research management tool ClinPortal, development and management of biospecimen tracking tools, and creation of the Clinical Investigation Data Exploration Repository (CIDER), a research repository of medical records. ClinPortal is a research management tool that allows investigators and study coordinators to integrate the data collection and management needs of a clinical study with critical regulatory compliance requirements. Investigators create case report forms using data elements (or variables) that are defined using controlled vocabularies, and ClinPortal then automatically generates the backend database schema as well as the forms to enter the data and conduct queries. Use of ClinPortal offers a number of advantages to the institution and to the investigator. By default, data stored in ClinPortal is available for sharing while following all HIPAA regulations, although the investigator that owns the data may turn of sharing if so desired. As a result, once an investigator has established his or her study within the ClinPortal system, there is potential for sharing relevant data with and from other studies. Data access is controlled both by investigator permissions and by regulatory requirements. Future phases include automated access to clinical data from our hospital and outpatient systems. Assuming appropriate release by the patient and access rights for the researcher, investigators using ClinPortal will eventually have access to clinical data from hospital and clinic sources for their study participants. Tissue Suite, a Web-based biospecimen inventory, tracking, and annotation tool, may be used for study-based biospecimen collection efforts and by other non-study investigators interested in identifying existing biospecimens throughout the medical campus that may be available for translational research. The ICTS Translational Pathology and Molecular Phenotyping (TPMP) Core supports the physical storage of biospecimens, while Tissue Suite is the application supported by both the CBMI and the TPMP to provide the informatics to manage data about those biospecimens. Investigators who are managing their own biospecimen collection efforts outside of the TPMP Core may still make use of the Tissue Suite application to manage their inventory in compliance with caBIG standards. Web accessibility, the ability to share biospecimens and biospecimen-related data, advanced search functionality, and capture of clinical, pathological, and quality assurance data for collected biospecimens are key features of Tissue Suite. Together, ClinPortal and Tissue Suite facilitate collaboration between investigators and data integration across studies. As clinical data becomes available through the ClinPortal tool, biospecimens referenced in the complementary Tissue Suite tool will gain increasing clinical annotation, making them even more valuable for translational research studies. Another major focus of the CBMI has been the development of a comprehensive research patient data warehouse. CIDER contains a wealth of data from the electronic medical records of most inpatients and outpatients seen at the WU medical center and affiliated hospitals in the BJC HealthCare system. This system will become available to ICTS investigators in 2009 and will initially contain data on patient encounters, laboratory testing, and medications. We sought community input in designing the patient notification and opt-out procedures and in strictly designating access and use of this information by qualified investigators. We expect that CIDER will become a very useful tool for many clinical and translational researchers to perform a review preparatory to research, identify potential participants to recruit to active clinical studies both by querying CIDER and as they are encountered in the health care system, and implement quality assurance and improvement initiatives. In addition to these highlighted functions, the CBMI is working on other ways to simplify communication and tracking within the ICTS. One new project is the creation of an electronic Research Concierge function to serve as the focal point to help clinical and translational researchers navigate through the study planning, design, review, and execution processes. This Research Concierge function will be added to WU's existing site that currently provides single sign-on access to the resources necessary to propose, manage, and close research projects and satisfy compliance requirements for research. In a nod to St. Louis history, these resources can be found at the WU Research Gateway Web site (http://research.wustl.edu). More information about the WU ICTS can be found at our main site http://icts.wustl.edu.

The barbershop industry in Indonesia has seen significant growth in recent years, with an annual growth rate of 20-30%. Kolega Barber is one of the players in this industry, utilizing a partnership model to target entrepreneurs and foster collaboration among stakeholders. However, the lack of standardization in the interior of the barbershops poses a significant challenge, making it difficult for potential partners to know what to expect. This study aims to analyze the current business situation of Kolega Barber's partnership model and develop a sustainable partnership model by addressing challenges identified through a 7Ps analysis. The study employs qualitative research methods, including interviews with Kolega partners and observation. The Development of a Business Model Canvas was utilized to create a model of sustainable partnership for Kolega Barber. This involved identifying the essential partners, resources, activities, and revenue streams for the business's success. The strategic implementation plan focuses on SOP development, human capital development, monitoring and controlling programs, and promotional support. Kolega Barber's long-term success and customer loyalty depend on building strong partnerships, leveraging technology, and emphasizing sustainability and a unique store concept.

As new forms of public space emerge and the distinction between public and private space is increasingly blurred, the notion of hybrid space has come to light. It encompasses different kinds of public, semi-public, semi-private and private spaces. The proliferation of hybrid space across cities raises an important question as to whether they are public spaces and if so, how public are they? This paper aims to examine the publicness of privately owned public space/s (POPS). POPS are a popular mechanism to provide public spaces, however little is known about their quality. Empirical research using three case studies in Hamburg, Germany, was carried out to understand the publicness of these spaces and qualities that impact this. Through applying the OMAI model – an acronym for ownership, management, accessibility and inclusiveness – key attributes that impact the publicness of the studied POPS are revealed. The lack of private management, use of rights-of-way, inclusion of amenities, the role of public agencies, and transparency regarding ownership affect the publicness of these POPS. Based on the analysis, recommendations are provided so that POPS can functionally integrate with the broader open space network and make a positive contribution to the city overall.

Many encourage service learning and health advocacy training in medical student education, but related evaluation is limited. To assess (1) impact of a required community health advocacy training for medical students on student attitudes, knowledge, and skills; (2) student characteristics associated with higher advocacy knowledge and skills; and (3) perspectives of community-based organizations (CBOs). Cross-sectional surveys. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UMMSM) Regional Medical Campus and main campus. Medical students at both UMMSM campuses. Required community health advocacy training for first- and second-year students including classroom experiences and hands-on project in partnership with a CBO. Student characteristics, health advocacy-related attitudes, self-reported and objective knowledge, and skills. Scores were compared between campuses, with multivariable modeling adjusting for individual student characteristics. Community-based organization perspectives were assessed via separate surveys. Ninety-eight (77%) regional campus students (intervention group) and 139 (30%) main campus students (comparison group) completed surveys. Versus the comparison group, the intervention group reported greater: mean knowledge of community health needs: 34.6 versus 31.1 (range: 11-44, P < .01), knowledge about CBOs: 3.0 versus 2.7 (range 1-4, P < .01) and knowledge of community resources: 5.4 versus 2.3 (range, 0-11, P < .01), and mean skill scores: 12.7 versus 10.5 (score range: 4-16, P < .01), following the intervention. Using adjusted analysis across both groups, female gender was associated with higher attitudes score. High level of previous community involvement was associated with higher attitude and skill scores. Higher self-reported educational debt was associated with higher skill scores. Community-based organization perspectives included high satisfaction and a desire to influence the training of future physicians. Medical student advocacy training in partnership with community-based organizations could be beneficial in improving student advocacy knowledge and skills in addressing community health issues and in developing sustainable community partnerships.

Business schools increasingly recognize their responsibility to serve communities beyond producing graduates and research. This article examines emerging models of reciprocal community engagement in business education, where universities and community organizations collaborate as genuine partners rather than following traditional service-provider relationships. Drawing on service-learning scholarship and organizational partnership literature, the analysis explores the landscape of university-community collaboration, organizational and community impacts of engagement initiatives, and evidence-based approaches to building sustainable partnerships. The article synthesizes research on reciprocal engagement strategies including collaborative project design, capacity-building exchanges, and sustained relationship infrastructure. Forward-looking recommendations address institutional commitment frameworks, partnership governance models, and systems for continuous learning. The synthesis offers practical guidance for business school administrators, faculty, and community organizations seeking to develop mutually beneficial relationships that enhance educational outcomes while addressing authentic community needs.

BackgroundFilipino Americans have low rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and high CRC mortality. To reduce this disparity, we conducted a dissemination trial in which we offered two levels of technical assistance to community organizations to disseminate an evidence-based CRC screening promotion program among their Filipino American members. This report describes the recruitment of organizations and adoption – the proportion and representativeness of organizations that decided to implement the program.MethodsDuring the recruitment phase, we completed organizational assessments with 44 community-based organizations (previous partners in research, organizations that were referred to us, or new organizations) to assess their eligibility to participate (having ≥ 150 Filipino American members age 50+). We compared organizational characteristics of organizations that did and did not adopt our CRC screening promotion program.ResultsTwenty two of the 44 community organizations that completed the assessment adopted the CRC screening promotion program (50%). Adoption was highest among organizations that had previously partnered with us (11/14 = 79%) and among organizations that were referred to us by community partners (5/10 = 50%) and lowest among new organizations (6/20 = 30%). Few organizational differences were found between adopters and non-adopters.ConclusionsThe high rate of adoption among organizations that were referred by community partners or had partnered with us in the past underscores the importance of community resources, community-academic relationships, and partnership in the dissemination process. However, the moderate rate of adoption among new organizations and the demands of completing documentation and assessments in our trial to advance dissemination research raise questions regarding the generalizability of study findings.

A primary aim of the pilot phase of the Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion campaign was to form partnerships with community organisations. As a component of the broader campaign strategy, collaborating organisations promoted their activities under the Act-Belong-Commit banner in exchange for resources, promotional opportunities and capacity building in event management and funding. The impact of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign on the capacity and activities of collaborating organisations during the pilot phase was evaluated using self-completed mail surveys in 2006 and 2008. Collaboration with the campaign had a positive impact on community organisations' capacity, including staff expertise, media publicity and funding applications. Collaborating organisations had strong positive perceptions of Act-Belong-Commit officers and all expressed a willingness to collaborate in future events and activities. The partnership model used during the pilot phase of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign was successful in creating mutually beneficial exchanges with collaborating organisations. So what? Community partnerships are necessary for the effective delivery of mental health promotion campaigns at a local level. Successful partnerships involve the provision of real and valuable benefits to collaborating organisations in return for their cooperation in promoting health messages.

This case study explores the sustainability and continuation of a centre of research and knowledge transfer around issues related to immigration and settlement. It discusses the institutional context of CERIS and the various policy and practice relevant uses of academic research. It draws on literature and theory about organizational capacity in nonprofit organizations and academic partnerships. The case assesses whether CERIS, has the capacity to renew and continue functioning beyond its funding mandate. Data was primarily collected from in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. The results of this paper indicate both opportunities and challenges for a renewed CERIS-like organization to continue functioning in the environment. The study has implications generally for the sustainability of collaborative partnerships.