COMMUNITY COURSE ALIGNMENT

In Community Course Alignment, UIC public health students apply course material through synergistic semester-long class projects/deliverables that are reciprocally designed to meet the needs of collaborating community-based organizations (CBOs)*, needs such as:

Data analysis, interpretation, and synthesis
Evaluation
Grant-writing
Community health assessment
Policy development
Environmental risk assessment
Program development and implementation
Workforce development, strategic planning
Community engagement and outreach
Survey design and recruitment

*CBOs are typically non-traditional public health partners such as mutual aid organizations, grassroots community groups, and other entities made up of residents from the community/ies of focus rather than, but not exclusive of, traditional public health partners such as local health departments and hospital systems.

Collaborating CBOs

Community collaborators have represented a range from non-profit organizations to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to neighborhood groups, and have worked alongside students around public health topics such as:

Violence prevention
Youth wellness and empowerment
Affordable housing and economic justice
Healthy food access and nutrition education
Environmental and occupational health standards
Neighborhood development
Breastfeeding
Healthcare and health promotion
Community outreach and cultural competency

Collaborating Classes and Instructors

Since fall 2022, participating classes and instructors from the UIC School of Public Health have included:

13 classes in and 7 instructors from the Community Health Sciences (CHS) division

5 classes in and 2 instructors from the Health Policy & Administration (HPA) division
2 classes and 2 instructors from the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) division
1 class and 1 instructor from the Epidemiology & Biostatistics (EPI/BIO) division

Benefits of Community Course Alignment

Our comprehensive, mixed methods evaluation data (from spring 2021 to 2024) illustrated the following benefits for respective students, community collaborators, and instructors who participated in Community Course Alignment:

STUDENTS

Obtained real-world public health experience
Increased knowledge of community-based public health practice
Met learning needs (e.g., having applied learning experiences, feeling like they're working as part of a bigger team)

COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS

Gained deeper insights into their programs
Benefitted from monetary compensation
Have new connections with UIC SPH students, faculty, and researchers

INSTRUCTORS

Helped fulfill respective teaching goals
Increased capacity to teach in a community-engaged way
Have new relationships with CBOs and community leaders

CCA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Does Community Course Alignment Work?

At least two months in advance of the start of the fall or spring semester, UIC instructors and the CEnTL Project Manager (PM) meet to discuss the instructor's course and opportunities to integrate class deliverables with community needs.
The PM reaches out to CBOs (sometimes within a certain programmatic focus or a specific geographic area) to gauge interest in collaborating, then sets up a meeting between them and the instructor(s) to discuss details and confirm fit. Once match is confirmed, the PM drafts a collaboration agreement document for instructor and CBOs to sign.
The PM hands things off to the instructor(s) and CBO representative(s) to complete their collaboration alongside students, who registered for the course and have no opt-out to collaborating with a CBO as part of their curriculum.
Throughout the semester, the PM checks in periodically to ensure the instructor(s) and CBO representative(s) are set up for success, principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) are being upheld, and to assess the program/collaboration overall.

What organizations are considered "community-based"? Are local health departments considered CBOs for this effort?

Included this initiative are public, non-profit and/or informal organizations that are focused on meeting the needs of community/ies in which they reside. There may be some collaboration with health departments, but we will focus particularly on organizations at the neighborhood level.

Will there be compensation for collaborating organizations? What about compensation for instructors?

Through spring 2024, both collaborating organizations and instructors were monetarily compensated according to the commitment required for the project. Effective fall 2024 and later, only collaborating organizations will be monetarily compensated according to the commitment required for the project; instructors' participation will be incentivized through Professional Development activities. Collaborating organizations are also offered other benefits as part of building reciprocal partnerships, potentially including access to the UIC library and databases, invitation to SPH events, and additional opportunities to mutually and directly engage with UIC students, faculty, and researchers.

What are some example deliverables/activities that students could produce for and in collaboration with CBOs?

Needs Assessment: Students could interview organization staff to determine the organization's assets and opportunities for growth; or collaborate on a regional Community Health Assessment.
Data Analysis: Students could analyze existing data (quantitative or qualitative) collected by the CBO and collaborate on interpretation and application.
Training/Outreach: Students could prepare a training about a health issue along with information about what the CBO is doing to address the issue. Students can then interview community members about how much they know about the CBO and its relevant services.
Program Planning: A team of students could review an organization's program portfolio to determine how well its programs are aligned with its mission and goals.
Program Evaluation: Students in survey methods courses could design a survey to assess and measure the outcomes of the CBO's services.
Grant Writing: Students could develop components of a grant proposal for a CBO's specific programmatic need.

If you are interested in Community Course Alignment, please reach out to the Project Manager (PM), Emily Etzkorn, at eee2@uic.edu.

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