Reengaging and Generating Ideas at the CBPR Partnership Academy Symposium

The Detroit Urban Research Center (Detroit URC) was delighted to host a one-and-a-half day Symposium featuring participants in the CBPR Partnership Academy Network of Scholars on May 29-30. The Symposium, titled “Promoting Community-Based Participatory Research to Achieve Health Equity,” was held at U-M’s Detroit Center. Attendees were drawn from three cohorts of teams in the Partnership Academy, each composed of 12 community-academic pairs that participated in the year-long program. The teams reflect multiple dimensions of diversity including 18 states, and 2 tribal nations, rural, urban, suburban and island communities with 68% from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in research.

The Symposium highlighted the work of Partnership Academy participants. Utilizing panel presentations, lightning talks, and poster presentations, teams shared their accomplishments and strategies in developing partnerships and implementing a wide range of CBPR projects - from designing culturally-grounded wellness programs to using digital storytelling to amplify community voices. In addition to formal opportunities to discuss issues and learn from each other in small groups, there were ample opportunities for networking and informal conversations.

“It was very enlightening and beneficial to see what others are doing. I think some ideas of how to move forward came up from the one-on-one conversations that the Symposium allowed for -- conversations which would not have happened if it wasn’t for the event itself,” remarked one participant. “We have become reengaged and are excited to move to the next level,” continued another participant. Watch for a more in depth story on the Symposium in the next newsletter and for presentations to be put up on the website soon.