Community Engagement
The goal of the Community Engagement Core is to promote and support community engaged research approaches among UMass disparities researchers and their partners, as well as advance the field of community engaged science through innovative projects and partnerships.We adopted the term "community-based participatory research" (CBPR) and use the definition put forth by Kellogg Foundation Community Health Scholars Program, which states that CBPR is "is a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities.1"
1WK Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook. Battle Creek, MI: WK Kellogg Foundation: 1998.
Our Community Partners include (alphabetical order):
- Charutar Arogya Mandal - Gujarat, India
- Dr. Jacob Zamstein, Urologist
- Family Health Center of Worcester
- Lowell Community Health Center
- Mosaic Cultural Complex
- Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Springfield
- Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program in Worcester