Community Partner Peer Mentoring & Advocacy

Partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions as a strategy for social change are gaining recognition and momentum. Despite being formed with the best of intentions, however, authentic partnerships are very difficult to achieve. While academic partners have extensively documented their experiences and lessons learned, the voices of community partners are often absent. We believe that if true partnerships are to be achieved, community partners must harness their own experiences, lessons learned, and collective wisdom into a national, organized effort.

Toward that end, in April 2006, CCPH convened community partners with years of experience in community-higher education partnerships for a Community Partner Summit held at the Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, WI. In December 2011, CCPH and the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service co-sponsored Achieving the Promise of Community-Engaged Health Disparities Research: A National Community Partner Forum in Boston, MA. In March 2012, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, CCPH and others co-sponsored a Regional Community Partner Forum in New York City. In December 2012, CCPH and the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service co-sponsored the 2nd National Community Partner Forum in Washington, DC.

The Community Network for Research Equity & Impact, launched in February 2013 as an outcome of the 2nd National Community Partner Forum, seeks to ensure that communities have a significant voice in decisions about research practice and policy, are true partners in research, and fully benefit from the knowledge gained. Read about its Agenda for Action here and how to get involved here.