A public forum - 'Multiculturalism: A Community/University Dialogue' will be held on Monday, September 13, 2004 in the Prince George's Room in Stamp Student Union. The forum is a collaborative effort between the Engaged University Initiative and the Multicultural Alliance of Prince Georges County, a coalition of culturally diverse groups and individuals from various ethnic communities (African, Caribbean, Pacific, Latin American and others) that affirm multiculturalism.

This public forum will bring together local and county government officials, faculty, students, and community leaders to explore how diverse peoples and cultures can contribute more fully to enhancing civic participation and the quality of life in Prince George's County. The program will feature brief presentations by James Early, Director of Cultural Heritage Policy at the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Wanda Resto-Torres, former Liaison for Latin American Affairs to the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) will be hosting a teleconference on the report's findings this fall, featuring the report's authors as presenters. Stay tuned for details by joining the CBPR listserv or by signing up for CCPH's monthly e-news at www.ccph.info.

Citation: Viswanathan M, Ammerman A, Eng E, Gartlehner G, Lohr KN, Griffith D, Rhodes S, Samuel-Hodge C, Maty S, Lux, L, Webb L, Sutton SF, Swinson T, Jackman A, Whitener L. Community-Based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 99 (Prepared by RTIUniversity of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-02-0016). AHRQ Publication 04-E022- 2. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. July 2004.

ABSTRACT:

Context: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that combines methods of inquiry with community capacity-building strategies to bridge the gap between knowledge produced through research and what is practiced in communities to improve health. Interest is growing rapidly for academic institutions, health agencies, and communities to form research partnerships; few agreed-upon guidelines describe how to develop or evaluate CBPR proposals or what resources are required to promote successful collaborative research efforts.

Objectives: This systematic review consolidates literature on health-related CBPR. We addressed the following key questions:
Key Question 1: What defines CBPR?
Key Question 2: How has CBPR been implemented to date with regard to the quality of research methodology and community involvement?
Key Question 3: What is the evidence that CBPR efforts have resulted in the intended outcomes?
Key Question 4: What criteria and processes should be used for review of CBPR in grant proposals?

The Guide consists of answers to a questionnaire that was distributed to all candidates who had filed petitions with the Board of Elections and Ethics by the July 7 deadline. Candidates were given approximately one month to respond to the questionnaire. Responses are printed verbatim with one exception: we asked candidates to limit each answer to 100 words, and to respect those candidates who adhered to that limit, we have cut off longer answers at the point where they reach 100 words. If a candidate's responses do not appear in the Guide, that candidate did not send a response.

We encourage everyone to reproduce and distribute the Guides. Printed copies will be distributed at candidate forums and other public events. Electronic versions of the Guides are available at www.legalclinic.org. Hardcopies can be requested for those who can not access the internet at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless (202) 328-5500. For a copy of this Guide in Spanish, visit www.carecendc.org, or call Ivette Iraheta at (202) 328-9799, extension 26.