Gallery Open House Feb. 6, 2010  |  11am-1pm Visitors are welcome to join ICR's Sewing Circle artists as they demonstrate and work on their textiles. Instruction and materials will be provided at no cost. Location: ICR's gallery, 146 Wyllys Street in Hartford. Snow date Feb. 7. Above: Detail of quilt made by Sewing Circle Project artists and Christina Garbarino. more-open house  contact info Quilt Display January - February 2010 ICR's gallery features contemporary quilts as part of Community Threads, a region-wide project that explores the culture of quilting and textile arts. Gallery hours: M-F, 10am to 5pm, and by appointment. contact info PhotoVoice Exhibit February 2010 Photographs and essays from ICR's youth project on 'Reducing Racial, Ethnic and Economic Health Disparities' will be displayed in the lobby of the CT Departments of Health/Mental Health, 410  Capital Avenue, Hartford. more-exhibit  | exhibit photo contact info NEW PARTNERSHIPS ICR is one of three community-based  research organizations affiliated with the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS). ICR's Founding Director Jean Schensul and Executive Director Margaret Weeks are Scientific Advisory Board members. Dr. Schensul is also Co-Core Director of CICATS' Community Engagement. MORE AT ICR ICR in the News Recent Photos Publications Job Opportunities RESEARCH FINDINGS Flu Prevention in Older Adults Influenza is the most vaccine preventable disease yet only 35 to 40% of older African-Americans and Latinos are vaccinated each year, well below the rates for Caucasians. To address this disparity, ICR developed a peer-led intervention to increase flu vaccine acceptability with residents in a public senior housing building in Hartford, CT. Residents, trained as health advocates, organized a building-wide flu education campaign that included 'flu fairs' and vaccination clinics. The intervention significantly increased vaccination rates, exceeding the study goal of 70% in the intervention site. more-findings   CULTURE ICR Showcases Contemporary Quilts The Institute joins Hartford Stage, Community Health Services, and several museums and community partners in Community Threads, a region-wide quilting project that celebrates the work of local quilters alongside the famous Gee's Bend quilts from Alabama. An amazing variety of quilts are now on display in ICR's gallery and in other venues throughout central Connecticut while the Hartford Stage production of Gee's Bend is running. Community Threads complements ICR's long-standing Sewing Circle Project that brings together immigrant, refugee, and folk artists who create and sell beautiful textiles in traditional styles. more-community threads  |  news  |  ct heritage arts  |  sewing circle project Above: Quilt by Sewing Circle Project artists and Christina Garbarino. YOUTH High School Youth Explore Educational Disparities Educational disparities negatively affect opportunities and outcomes for urban youth. ICR's Youth Action Research Institute is working with12 Hartford high school students to explore educational issues that affect them and their peers and to engage them as partners in school reform efforts. Says Youth Research Activist Roseenha Ramanouth, "I'd like to see the educational system change and help teens to see and understand what the world has to offer." Group members will also participate as youth advisory council members of the State of Connecticut Education Resource Center, collaborate with the CT Youth Activist Network, and present their findings and action strategies at workshops and symposia. more-youth action research institute   INTERNATIONAL ICR Holds First Project Conference on China Female Condom Intervention HIV/AIDS infection rates in China, particularly among women, have been rising over the past two decades. ICR is collaborating with Chinese partners to decrease HIV risk by conducting a multi-level intervention to promote female condom use in sex work establishments in southern China. The first project-wide conference brought together staff from all 4 study sites (Guangxi Province and Hainan Province CDCs and local township health staff from each of the study towns) and researchers from ICR and Peking Union Medical College to discuss findings and share intervention experiences.   more-conference   You're receiving this email because of your relationship with The Institute for Community Research. Please confirm your continued interest in receiving email from us. ICR News is a bimonthly email newsletter from The Institute for Community Research, an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources. To learn more about what we do, please visit www.incommunityreseearch.org.