Training Culturally Sensitive Students for Community-Based Research and Vulnerable Populations

IMPACT. 1: Within a 10-week period, our interdisciplinary team logged 774 service-learning hours related to onsite collaborative research, community service, outreach and engagement. -- 2. Students functioned on a cooperative team that built relationships with community partners and pantry clients, learning about the roles of nonprofit organizations in community change and responsible practices in a disparate community. -- 3. The return on investment for our students has been significant. In addition to changing their perceptions of disparate communities, our students have been active in disseminating the details of their experiences and results. Several have continued to volunteer to assist with the study's data analyses and publications. Others have submitted national abstracts, presented research posters and continue to volunteer in the community setting. Our leadership team has been invited to present our service-learning modules at 2 international conferences.OSU PARTNERS: College of Medicine; School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; Division of Medical Dietetics; Division of Health Sciences; Division of Occupational Therapy; Division of Athletic Training; Division of Physical Therapy; Division of Respiratory Therapy Division of Health Information Management and SystemsCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Stowe Mission; Community Development for All People; Salvation Army Food Pantry; Columbus Neighborhood Health CentersPRIMARY CONTACT: Colleen Spees (spees.11@osu.edu)University-community partnerships have the intellectual and technical capacity to conduct quality research with underserved populations. One critical component to the success of the team involves our students. Often serving as "the face" of the University at the front lines of data collection and client education, our students remain paramount to the University's reputation and success. To ensure quality outcomes for a community-based research project, our leadership team designed, implemented, and evaluated a comprehensive evidence-based education and training module for multidisciplinary students. Facilitated by a variety of University experts and community partners, students were exposed to relevant topics including cultural sensitivity, health literacy, disparities, ethics, survey methods and community-based research specific to vulnerable and underserved populations