Topic Page for Graphic Record
Project REECH - Reducing the Divide between Researchers and the Community
Project REECH
The main goal of Project REECH (Research Engagement and Education for Community Health), a community engagement project, is to reduce the cultural knowledge divide between researchers and communities by a) partnering with community organizations for bidirectional research dialogues and b) jointly conduct a research project that addresses a community-identified health concern in an effort to reduce health disparities in Cleveland. Along with its nine community partner organizations Project REECH has successfully held six community conversations in the Hough and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods.
In the first year over one hundred stakeholders participated in the community conversations including community residents, faith-based leaders, health professionals, policymakers (e.g., city council), practitioners, professors, and other academics. On May 22nd and May 29th of 2008 Project REECH hosted a “report-back” highlighting the themes, and salient issues voiced by the community through the use of theater and acting as a medium for dissemination.
Voices to Action
Voices to Action (a name inspired by a community resident) is the report-back component of Project REECH. After engaging in multiple dialogues with various community residents, actors performed a series of short skits based on the myths, beliefs and personal experiences voiced in the community. In addition to community residents, academics, professionals and policy makers attended both Voices to Action report back “informances.”
Graphic Record
Graphic facilitator, Elizabeth Warren, listened to audience responses to the short skits during the Voices to Action report back “informance” sessions and created a graphic record or pictorial of the session as it unfolded.
During the first Voices to Action in the Detroit-Shoreway community the emergent themes surrounded community partnerships.
During the second Voices to Action in the Hough neighborhood the emergent themes surrounded research agendas and the academic ivory tower.
Send news items related to health disparities to ReduceDisparity(AT)case.edu
Posted by: David Porter on July 01, 2008
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Category: Graphic Record; Project Reech; Voices to Action