• A Happy New Year
• Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
• Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Implications for Participatory Research and Community.
• Study Evaluates Cause of Health Disparities in Local Community
• Using Knowledge to Make a Difference.
• Sustaining and Spreading Improvements in Healthcare
• Monitoring the Well-Being of America's Children and Adolescents
• Website Provides One-Stop Spot for Technical Assistance
• MCH Leadership Skills Development Series (MCHLDS)
• National Children's Study (NCS) Centers (pre solicitation notice)

A Happy New Year

The ChampionsInC staff extends best wishes for a happy new year to all of you! 2008 will bring some changes to the look and feel of our e-newsletter, so stay tuned!

You will notice that several of the articles featured in today’s newsletter concern the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in community building. PAR is an approach that encourages researchers, along with families, providers, policymakers who will benefit from the research, to work together as full partners in all phases of a research project. In a similar vein, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is one of several models of systems change that allows the PAR process to move forward. The CQI process can be summarized in four simple steps: 1. Building Partnerships; 2. Developing a Plan; 3. Implementing in Communities, and 4. Measuring and Monitoring. Please visit the ChampionsInC website to learn more about the CQI process: http://www.championsinc.org/methods/cqi/

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Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation

Many children throughout the world face challenges when it comes to learning. The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation ( http://www.schwabfoundation.org/ )is actively making a difference in these children’s lives by providing support to their families through the award winning website, SchwabLearning.org ( http://www.schwablearning.org/ ). This direct service program provides free information, resources, and support on topics such as identifying difficulties, managing your child, and connecting with others. The Schwab Foundation also offers grants to organizations that have a desire to help their communities in supporting families with similar challenges.

More information can be found on the website at:
http://www.schwablearning.org/

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Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Implications for Participatory Research and Community.

“Researchers have a responsibility to cause no harm, but research has been a source of distress for indigenous people because of inappropriate methods and practices.” The authors of this article discussed the challenges of distributing the benefits of research findings when academic or external needs contrast with the need to protect indigenous knowledge. To view the abstract of this article, go to http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/1/22?etoc

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Study Evaluates Cause of Health Disparities in Local Community

Using a PAR approach, this study focused on the cause of health disparities in a disadvantaged Black community in southern Florida. Researchers used a process called Rapid Assessment Response and Evaluation (RARE) to form partnerships with community members and to pinpoint the principle causes of health disparities and the most appropriate targets for intervention. To view the abstract, go to http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/1/28?etoc

Please note: The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) supports family participation and satisfaction and strives to increase the capacity of health and mental health programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service-delivery systems. For more information, go to: http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/nccc/

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Using Knowledge to Make a Difference.

The Association for the Study & Development of Community (ASDC) applies an integrated, participatory approach to providing research and evaluation support, technical assistance, and training to states and communities involved with community building and strategic planning. To find out more about the organization, visit: http://www.capablecommunity.com/about.html

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Sustaining and Spreading Improvements in Healthcare

A new set of principles is now available to organizations that want to facilitate the sustainability and spread of improvements following a Learning Collaborative model. This is the result of a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study ( http://www.pcdcny.org/resources/cmfstudy.html ) by the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC). More information is available about this study by visiting: http://www.pcdcny.org/resources/cmfstudy.html

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Monitoring the Well-Being of America's Children and Adolescents

Tracking and monitoring children and adolescents is critical to improving the success of their development. This monograph describes Federal, State, and local monitoring systems that provide estimates of problem prevalence; risk and protective factors; and profiles regarding mobility, economic status, and public safety indicators. Data for these systems come from surveys of adolescents and archival records. To download, go to http://www.drugabuse.gov/pubs/cms/

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Website Provides One-Stop Spot for Technical Assistance

Disability Program Navigator Grantees now have a technical assistance product, developed by DTI Associates, Inc. at their fingertips. This website provides accessible and comprehensive tools and information to grantees that provide services that help individuals with disabilities find and keep good jobs. This website is also useful to a broader audience. Individuals with disabilities, advocates, parents, counselors and other professionals should find a rich source of information here http://www.onestoptoolkit.org/

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MCH Leadership Skills Development Series (MCHLDS)

MCH Leadership Skills Development Series (MCHLDS) provides a leadership skills training modules that allow you to implement your own leadership skills training program—in your own time frame, on your own turf, with easy-to-use materials available on the web free of charge. The modules bring leadership concepts to life in an MCH context through a mix of video, interactive group discussion questions and exercises, case study, and individual self-reflection and planning exercises. http://www.jhsph.edu/wchpc/MCHLDS

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National Children's Study (NCS) Centers (pre solicitation notice)

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), is planning to add additional locations and centers to the National Children's Study (NCS). Multiple contract awards are anticipated for organizations or institutions for the requirements described in the announcement in the link below. More details will appear in a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be issued in approximately 2 to 4 weeks after the date of the publication of this announcement.
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NICHD/Reference-Number-NIH-NICHD-NCS-08-21/listing.html

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