Successful University-Community Partnerships for Health: Taking the Long Road

Abstract

The session, Successful University-Community Partnerships for Health: Taking the Long Road is geared to anyone who has experience with or desire to gain experience with community based research, university-community partnerships and service learning. We will include perspectives of the university, its students, the community agencies and their clients/patients. Guided activities will elicit ideas from the participants on envisioning what successful partnerships as vehicles of social change might look like. Exploration of how to create, nurture and sustain long-term partnerships will be included using visual mapping activities. One of the underpinnings to the session is a shared value amongst the presenters of the benefit of creating 'community-focused physicians' who practice with respect and sensitivity for their patients and communities. The main questions to be posed to the participants will be, "How might your agency develop and sustain long-term community-university partnerships that lead to long-term transformation?" "What might this look like?" "How will you know when this is accomplished?". Participants will bring back their own reflection and group work, as well as a list of resources to their agencies.