Community Research Team/Community Faculty
The Charities' first Community Research Team was formed in 2007 to assist in a City of Houston study on how vulnerable communities prepare for emergencies. This pioneer team became the model and foundation for our Community Faculty. By connecting fully to the project, they ensured every research phase was peer-to-peer, collecting the best and most authentic data. This approach is at the core of the Charities Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR).
The City of Houston's Office of Surveillance and Public Health Preparedness Department of Health and Human Services contracted the Charities to study four underserved communities; Sunnyside, Gulfton, and the Third and Fifth Wards. Researchers began by contacting grantees and other organizations for introductions to residents who might be willing to be trained.
The Charities researchers enlisted team members to partner in developing a curriculum to train other newly-formed teams, the genesis of the Academy. Eight of the original team members now serve as Community Research Faculty and have trained approximately fifty community researchers in CBPR methods.
