INTRODUCTION TO EQUITY IN COMMUNITY BUILDING
Monday, February 13 from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm (Webinar)
Effective community health work applies an equity lens, with an emphasis on building individual and coalition capacity to engage diverse communities through empowering and competent approaches. There are numerous barriers to such engagement; some conscious, and some unconscious. Race, class, and cultural communication styles all influence the ways in which diverse communities relate to the work. This webinar will introduce participants to health equity, culturally competent approaches, and how to think collaboratively about ways to effectively engage diverse populations/communities in their efforts.
ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES: HEALTH EQUITY IN ACTION
Tuesday, March 21 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (South Shore, MA)
Creating health equity requires the prioritization of work that engages and empowers communities experiencing disparities related racial, economic, gender and social determinants. Most community health projects struggle with the issue of engaging diverse communities in the work of mainstream coalitions. There are numerous barriers to such engagement, some conscious, and some unconscious. Race, class, and cultural communication styles all influence the ways in which diverse communities relate to planning and implementation activities. Building upon the Introduction to Equity in Community Building webinar, this session will delve deeper into the common barriers to engaging diverse communities in the work of mainstream coalitions, and how to think collaboratively about ways to effectively engage diverse populations/communities in efforts.
POWER DYAMINICS*
Thursday, April 13 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (Worcester, MA)
This training will provide participants with an opportunity to examine critical questions about their personal relationship with power. What is power? How does it manifest in relational and professional dynamics? How do we leverage our power, knowingly or unknowingly, to influence conflict or negotiate situations? This training will help facilitate an exploration of self-identity and how to build on that self-awareness to help set the tone for positive professional relationships and work in the broader community.
RACIAL EQUITY*
Thursday, April 13 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Worcester, MA)
Achieving racial equity requires society’s systems and markets to perform equally well for different racial and ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the data for most of our systems and markets do not currently show equity or parity for our most disenfranchised racial and ethnic groups. This training will explore how institutional or customary practices, whether intentional or unintentional, are set up to further perpetuate racial health inequities. Participants will get a chance to explore how this manifests in the community context and ways in which they can work actively against perpetuating these inequitable systems.
*Offered back-to-back with a networking lunch between the two sessions