The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just announced that on Friday, April 8, it will unveil its roadmap for reducing health and health care disparities, a comprehensive effort to address differences in health for racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities.

 Community Science is proud to be the national evaluator of this effort, the National Partnership to End Health Disparities, as well as being responsible for building local capacity to use data to promote health equity and developing a national health equity index..For more information www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/ 

Tools For Small & Mid Size Organizations

Research & Development at Community Science   

We've always considered Community Science a research and development organization creating products and strategies that help develop healthy, just and equitable communities.  Our research and development efforts are currently focused on three important tools:

* JourneyStart - a unique on-line assessment tool for health-related and other organizationsfocusing on an organization's (not individuals') readiness to examine its cross-cultural competency and take action.  The assessment focuses on policies and procedures and provides advice on strengthening the organization's cross-cultural capacity. 

* ChangeThinkers - an on-line "space" for grantees and others to share ideas and best practices, get help and find resources in order to create a learning community.  ChangeThinkers can also be customized to provide a different groups with their own unique grantee monitoring system.

* Strength of Community Workshop and Toolkit -  an assessment and action kit that builds on our internationally used Sense of Community Index-2 to help funders, government agencies, and community groups learn how strong a community they have and how to strengthen it even further.

 Read more about these products and strategies and how they are affordable for small and medium size organizations.

Work in progress...

Evaluating AFF's Community Reconciliation Program 

Practicing what we preach...

Continuing a tradition that's 14 years old, Community Science made a donation at year end to each employee's favorite charity.  This year's recipients included Big Brothers and Sisters, Global Giving, the Scleroderma Research Foundation, Jobs with Justice, Feeding America and End Homelessness.  Our goal is to give the maximum allowable 5% of profit each year. This year, even in difficult economic times, continuing this tradition was a priority for Community Science and we achieved it. These donations are given in addition to the pro bono work we do for local non-profits and our community service activities.  

Creating a Safe Space to Learn

Community Science Senior Associate Dr. LaKeesha Woods is one of the co-authors of an article in the Winter issue of The Community Psychologist entitled "Creating a safe space to learn: The significant role of graduate students in fostering educational engagement and aspirations among urban youth." 

 The paper presents a description and initial evaluation of the Maximizing Adolescent Academic eXcellence (MAAX) program, a strengths-based social and positive youth development program delivered by graduate students within the classroom environment. The evaluation revealed that as a result of their participation in the MAAX program, African American and Latino middle school students became more engaged in school, felt supported, and began to see college as a viable option for them. 

New Employee Spotlight

Community Science is pleased to welcome Nyquana Manning as our newest Associate.  Nyquana has a Masters in Public Health from the University of Sciences in Philadelphia and joins Community Science from the Maryland Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene where she conducted secondary data analyses of Maryland's medical care programs and data in the Maryland Medicaid Information System. In her spare time, she works as a vision therapist for children in Baltimore.

Nyquana's email address is nmanning@communityscience.com.

Global Health & Innovation Conference, April 16-17, 2011, New Haven, CT; for information: Unite for Sight

13th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, June 16-19, 2011, Chicago, IL; for information:2011 Biennial  

November 2-5, 2011, Anaheim, CA; for information:  

Evaluation 2011

Call for Proposals: Deadline March 18, 2011

You guys rock! Thanks for being so smart and diplomatic and willing to have hard conversations..  You are doing a great job of putting us in a position to make the best possible decisions based on the best possible data/analysis you could've given us.

~Jill E. Williams

Program Officer

Andrus Family Fund