What's New for the CORE Group Community: Fall 2015 eNewsletter

American College of Nurse-Midwives
Christian Blind Mission-US
Community Partners International
D-tree International
Edesia
eHealth Africa
Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth
Grandmother Project
ICF International
Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University
International Union Against Tuberculosis & Lung Disease
IntraHealth International
Jhpiego
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-Department of International Health
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs
JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.
Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health-USA
Living Goods
Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Department of Global Health
Medair
Medtronic Philanthropy
Partners of the Americas
United Methodist Committee on Relief
University Research
Co., LLC
Women's Refugee Commission

INDIVIDUAL

ASSOCIATES

Susan Aradeon
William Brady
Jean Capps
Loretta Dostal
Lindy Fenlason
Paul Freeman
Christy Gavitt
Devasena Gnanashanmugam
Lenette Golding
Kamden Hoffman
Ruth Hope
Adelbert James
Yun Hee Kang
Sandra Keller
Susan Kingston
Bonnie Kittle
Grace Kreulen
Judy Lewis
W. Meredith Long
Karen McClure
Judiann McNulty
Amy Metzger
Leonora Nyawata
Shana Patterson
Marydean Purves
Jessica Rockwood
Graciela Salvador-Davila
Donna Sillan
Pragati Singh
Joanne Spicehandler
Circey Trevant
Doreen Weatherby
Sandra Wilcox

Farewell Letter from Karen LeBan

CORE Group's Executive Director, Karen LeBan, is moving on after 14 years. We will greatly miss Karen and thank her for her service and dedication to the organization. Karen also prepared a letter to share with the CORE Group community:

As I wind up my tenure as CORE Group's Executive Director, I gratefully acknowledge the privilege I have had working with dedicated professionals and esteemed health and development organizations over the past 14 years to create a world where communities can support women and children to survive and live healthier lives. CORE Group remains strong as a global health practitioners' network led by its volunteer Working Group Co-Chairs and its active Board of Directors, supported by its able staff. Lynette Friedman, who has organized and facilitated many CORE Group Conferences over the years, will serve as Interim Executive Director, bridging the transition until a new Executive Director is appointed to take CORE Group into its next phase of work. Lynette can be reached at [email protected] starting January 4, 2016.

Best wishes to all,

Karen LeBan

Fall 2015 Conference Held

October 8-9, 2015

Washington, DC

From left to right: Keynote speakers Scozzaro, Ngulube, and Russell

CORE Group's Fall 2015 Global Health Practitioner Conference, Trending Topics in Community Health, was attended by 241 individuals from 80 organizations and 5 countries. On Thursday, speakers Jenny Russell with Save the Children, Moses Ngulube with World Vision, and A.Tianna Scozzaro with the Sierra Club explored the Implications of the Sustainable Development Goals for Community Health Programming in their keynote address. The Dory Storms Award was presented to David Oot for his exceptional commitment to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition programming. Attendees also engaged in 16 new information circuits, 4 concurrent sessions, 2 lunchtime roundtables, 2 Working Group meetings, and a social networking reception.

Friday featured a daylong workshop on Behavior Change in the Age of Complexity: Implications for Monitoring and Evaluation,

hosted by CORE Group's Social and Behavior Change Working Group and sponsored by Palladium.

You can see presentations, photos and more from the Fall 2015 Conference online.

Submit Items to the Member Highlights eNewsletter

Submissions are open for the next eNewsletter focused on CORE Group's Membership: Member Organizations, Associate Organizations, and Individual Associates! This eNewsletter showcases our Members' work in developing innovative tools, publishing groundbreaking reports, and planning workshops and trainings around the world.

Please submit your items online by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 4, 2016.

Attend the Spring 2016 Conference

May 16-20, 2016

Portland, OR

Join CORE Group for our Spring 2016 Global Health Practitioner Conference from May 16-20 in Portland, OR. This year's theme is Achieving Health for All through Multi-dimensional Approaches. Early registration is now open for CORE Group Members, Associates, and Individuals, and registration opens for everyone January 11, 2016.

Save the Date for TOPS/FSN Network Meeting

January 27-28, 2016

Washington, DC

The TOPS Program's FSN Network is hosting a Knowledge Sharing Meeting on Strengthening Connections: Inquiry, Innovation & Implementation January 27-28, 2016 in Washington, DC. You can join practitioners, donors, and experts to build momentum and address gaps to reach lasting successes in food security during the collaborative event.

Online registration is now open through January 13, 2016.

Explore the Redesigned FSN Network Website

In the last 6 months, a full site redesign was completed for the FSN Network web portal, driven by feedback from the FSN Network community. The goals of the redesign were to improve the overall experience for users and provide more opportunities for engagement. Explore the site here , including the improved Resource Library . Look out for more improvements coming soon!

CORE Group Polio Project Showcased at USAID Event

November 17, 2015

Washington, DC

CGPP Horn of Africa case study poster

A case study about the CORE Group Polio Project's work providing vaccinations in the Horn of Africa region was featured at USAID Learning Lab Moving the Needle 2015: Better Development Programming Through Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting.

The case study was one of the top 20 featured, and you can read the full text on the Learning Lab's website.

Civil Society Bibliography Coming Soon

CORE Group has been leading an effort with USAID's Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) to develop a strategy for civil society engagement for MCSP country programs. Three documents are being developed:

A scan and analysis of literature on civil society engagement covering over 100 documents released during the past 15 years.
A strategy brief for actively engaging civil society within MCSP country programs.
A resource list of tools, guides, and other materials useful for implementing civil society strategies within national health system settings.

Look for an announcement about the final products in our next eNewsletter.

Welcome to 2 New Staff Members

CORE Group welcomes Sadia Parveen, Director of Partnership Development, and Yemisi Songo-Williams, Knowledge Management Specialist.

Sadia Parveen leads the development and execution of a policy and plan to nurture collaboration and build partnerships. She has over 20 years of experience in planning, implementation, and management of integrated health programs, focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health and reproductive health/family planning. She has worked in multiple socio-economic settings with service providers and managers.

Yemisi Songo-Williams designs and executes knowledge management activities and processes to strengthen and expand the TOPS Program's FSN Network. She has experience developing strategies and forums to facilitate knowledge sharing through meetings, conferences, field exchange visits, social media, and other online collaboration forums. She previously led the creation and management of a web-based platform at Catholic Relief Services.

3 New Resources Online

CORE Group and partners published 3 new resources to assist global health implementers in developing and strengthening their programs:

Participatory Facilitation Techniques Workshop Curriculum (with USAID, the TOPS Program, and the FSN Network).
French versions of the Essential Nutrition Actions and Essential Hygiene Actions Framework (with USAID; John Snow, Inc.; and Helen Keller International).
Complete Ebola Care Group Module.

Submit a Proposal to Cracking the Nut Health '16

July 18-19, 2016

Washington, DC

CORE Group is a media partner for Cracking the Nut Health's 2016 conference, The Role of Communities in Building Resilient Health Systems. For the event, Cracking the Nut Health is identifying the latest approaches to health systems strengthening and involving communities in building resiliency. If you or someone you know have insight related to developing resilient communities and health systems, submit a proposal for your approach to be showcased in front of top industry thought leaders from private-sector companies, researchers, representatives of pharmaceutical companies, major health suppliers, donors, and development practitioners.

The conference will be held July 18-19, 2016 in Washington, DC, and will share competitively selected best practices, lessons learned, and remaining challenges around 3 themes:

Using Measurement and Analytics to Improve Accountability.
Leveraging Partnerships to Promote Resilience.
Scaling Technology and Innovation to Increase Impact.

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EST on January 29, 2016, and you can submit them online.

SBC Journal Club: Emotional Drivers and Handwashing (1/21/2016)

The EquityTool: Changing Poverty Measurement and Service Delivery (1/12/2016)

Recent 2015 webinars

Integrating Family Planning with Nutrition and Food Security (12/9/2015)

USAID's Acting on the Call Report (11/16/2015)

SBC Journal Club: Care Groups-Evaluating Comparative Impact (11/5/2015)

Clean, Fed, and Nurtured: Indicators for Child Growth and Development (10/6/2015)

Make the Most of Your Membership and the

Community Health Network

As a CORE Group Member, Associate, or Individual, you can connect with individuals and agencies dedicated to advancing community health and ending maternal and child deaths. Please help us spread the power of learning and sharing by getting organizations, colleagues, and yourself involved through:

Joining CORE Group on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for the latest community health updates and event announcements.
Inviting your colleagues to sign up for Working Group listservs, Interest Group listservs, the CORE Group Community listserv, or the eNewsletter.
Planning a webinar to share an important topic with the Community Health Network. CORE Group provides logistical, promotional, and technical support.

Help CORE Group Advance Community Health Worldwide

Donate now to contribute to CORE Group's mission of advancing community health worldwide.

CORE Group is a proud member of the Combined Federal Campaign: CFC # 81108

DBA: Health for underserved women, children, and communities worldwide.

ABOUT CORE GROUP: CORE Group improves and expands community health practices for underserved populations, especially women and children, through collaborative action and learning. Established in 1997 in Washington, DC, CORE Group is an independent 501(c)3 organization and home to the Community Health Network, which brings together CORE Group member organizations, scholars, advocates, and donors to support the health of underserved mothers, children, and communities around the world.

Please renew or join membership with CORE Group in 2016. New membership forms have also been posted.

Visit us at www.coregroup.org.

For inquiries, contact us at [email protected]