Creating Sustainable Interventions
The Charities uses a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach in its work. According to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CBPR 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, has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities."
For the Charities, this means building a two-way information exchange between 1) members of communities most affected by health problems and 2) researchers with expertise in social problem solving.
To operationalize these ideas, the Charities created the Center for Community-Based Research and Education to house online interactive data mapping portals, The Academy (for training community research partners), The Scholars in Residence program, the Charities Internship Program, and internally and externally funded research.
Internally funded research includes the Healthy Neighborhood Initiatives (HNIs): collaborative work with residents and organizations within underserved communities to assess and address health issues. HNIs include the Greater Fifth Ward, the Denver Harbor/Port Houston, and Sunnyside neighborhoods, among others. Externally funded research includes projects for the Komen Foundation, the Avon Foundation, and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
