Action Research for Community Health & Wellbeing

By Dr. Russell Coates

Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is an approach that views research as a relational process through which new knowledge is produced collectively, valuing all research participants’ unique strengths, knowledge, and experiences with the purpose to bring about change or action.  The health needs of the community are the primary driving force of the research. 

Service–learning refers to learning that actively involves students in a wide range of experiences, which often benefit others and the community, while also advancing the goals of a given curriculum.  It’s more than community service.   The ultimate aim is transformative learning and tangible change at the community level.  As a collective group through service learning we can become agents of social change, impacting our global community on issues such as homelessness, hunger, poverty, illiteracy and healthcare. 

Commonalities

As I was reflecting on CBPR principles, several insights began to emerge when comparing similarities of CBPR to service-learning projects I have participated in. Both service-learning and CBPR value  empowering communities, social justice, concern and drive to create concrete change, the experience and expertise of all team members, developing deep connections with people, real-time flexibility, less structured academic practice, cultural humility, room for ambiguity, intuition, learning, reflection on the experience, and transformative learning.  As I learned more about CBPR, it became increasingly apparent to me that some service-learning projects are primed for incorporating CBPR.

An existing UIW service-learning experience

ARISE (A Resource In Serving Equality) is a community-based organization working with families in four colonias in south Texas to strengthen their communities.  ARISE strives to respond to specific community needs around issues like immigration, housing, and the environment.  UIW’s partnership with ARISE began several years ago when UIW honor students became involved with a six-week summer reading program for children.  ARISE conducted sessions with the students teaching them about the community’s history and other activities that they are involved with resulting in the betterment of their community. Later, students and faculty from two of UIW’s health professional schools (Optometry and Nursing) were invited to conduct a short-term health clinic providing clinical care (health screenings, eye examinations and spectacle correction) to assist with providing for healthcare needs and disparities for the families in the ARISE organization’s community network.

The UIW service-learning trip experience has continued to grow over the last five years and now has expanded to include other UIW departments and services.  Hundreds of patients from the community have been served and a great partnership with the community continues to flourish.  The relationship foundations between the academicians and the community partners have already been built, and in addition, trust based on years of continued involvement and service has also laid the groundwork for incorporating CBPR opportunities.  Why not leverage this trusted relationship to begin discussions to identify additional community needs using CBPR principles?  Combining service-learning and CBPR has the potential for significant transformative learning and action. 

For more detail, please see the poster below. I hope you enjoy!

Dr. Russell Coates is an Associate Professor and the Director of Outreach Programs at the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry.