Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH)

CCPH draws upon information and communication technologies (ICTs) and in-person exchange in an effort to connect people who are committed to social justice, and who are passionate about the power of partnership as a strategy for transforming communities and academe.

For example, the CCPH Consultancy Network provides customised training and technical assistance to CBOs, colleges and universities, professional associations, and grantee networks. CCPH consultants are "real life" practitioners who have experience in the full scope of community-campus partnerships; they lead workshops and give presentations on: service-learning courses and programmes, community-based participatory research, community-engaged scholarship, partnership assessment and improvement, and grant writing and fundraising. CCPH conferences emphasise inclusion, experiential learning, and subsequent action. Outcomes have reportedly included principles of good practice, policy recommendations, and new approaches to partnerships. These conferences feature "[d]ynamic keynotes, skill-building workshops, informative posters & exhibits, inspiring community site visits, and opportunities to speak with funding agency representatives". A core focus is on providing venues for participants to network with peers, who have "diverse knowledge and experience", and to offer means for sharing skills and lessons learned. Similarly, CCPH's training institutes feature experiential and didactic approaches to teaching and learning, and a mentoring model in which participants work in small groups and as individuals with leaders in the field to shape their own learning and action plans.

In addition, funding opportunities and other news are shared through CCPH's electronic discussion groups, twice-monthly electronic (e)-newsletter, and customised emails that can be tailored to each member's interests. Here, for example, one may learn about how to influence policy on issues such as funding for community-campus partnerships, the elimination of health disparities, health workforce diversity, and faculty promotion and tenure. Details about the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Annual Award are also offered here; this award recognises exemplary partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions that build on each other's strengths to improve higher education, civic engagement, and the overall health of communities. Links to a variety of resources and publications may be accessed on the CCPH website, as well.

Education, Health.

According to CCPH, "Partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions as a strategy for social change are gaining recognition and momentum. We believe that if true partnerships are to be achieved, community partners must harness their own experiences, lessons learned, and collective wisdom into a national, organized effort."

Through conference sessions, focus groups, surveys, interviews, and literature reviews held between January 1997 and April 1998, CCPH involved its members and partners in developing principles of community-campus partnerships. These principles have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese, and may be viewed in detail about how to put each principle into practice by clicking here (and then clicking on "About us".) Here is a brief summary:

• "Partners have agreed upon mission, values, goals, and measurable outcomes for the partnership.
• The relationship between partners is characterized by mutual trust, respect, genuineness, and commitment.
• The partnership builds upon identified strengths and assets, but also addresses areas that need improvement.
• The partnership balances power among partners and enables resources among partners to be shared.
• There is clear, open and accessible communication between partners, making it an ongoing priority to listen to each need, develop a common language, and validate/clarify the meaning of terms.
• Roles, norms, and processes for the partnership are established with the input and agreement of all partners.
• There is feedback to, among, and from all stakeholders in the partnership, with the goal of continuously improving the partnership and its outcomes.
• Partners share the credit for the partnership's accomplishments.
• Partnerships take time to develop and evolve over time."