Program Overview
The Leaders in Health (LIH) program strengthens community health initiatives through introductory training in public health research and science. The goal of the Leaders in Health program is to build the capacity of our community partners by providing participants with an introduction to the fundamentals of community-based participatory research (CBPR), program planning, and evaluation. Participants attend interactive training sessions, complete assignments, and receive support to create an action plan to enhance their work.
Timeline & Time Commitment
The application period for a new cohort typically opens each August, and participants are chosen by mid-September. The program takes place from September through November. Participants should expect to dedicate two hours per week for training sessions as well as an additional two hours of their own time completing readings, assignments, and applying what they have learned to their project.
Purpose
From 2011-2014, the HPRC partnered with the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness (BCFF), and Harvard Catalyst’s Community Engagement Program, on a training focused on nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention among children and youth. Through our conversations with community partners working to improve nutrition and physical activity, many organizations asked for a program to help better understand and use the public health approach, community-based participatory research methods, and the science underlying effective evidence-based obesity prevention strategies.
Leaders in Health was re-launched in 2017 with the Harvard T.H. Chan Office of Diversity and Inclusion under co-Directors, Bekka Lee and Ra’Shaun Nalls, with a broader focus on population health and prevention—expanding to include projects on topics such as elder wellness, health in housing, and sexual health promotion.
Content
Topics covered during the Leaders in Health Program include:
- Public Health Principles & Practice
- Community-Based Participatory Research
- Health Equity
- Project Planning & Implementation
- Program Evaluation
- Public Speaking & Policy Advocacy
Within the first few weeks of the program, members identify a project that they are working on which they think could be enhanced by LIH principles. Then, over the second half of the program, participants create action plans, construct logic models, and examine evaluation and implementation strategies to help translate their knowledge into practice.
During the final week of the program, LIH participants presented an outline of the key components of their projects, such as specific aims, target population, activities, outcomes, and LIH concepts that they applied.
Program Dates: 2011-2014, 2017-present
Contact: Rebekka Lee
Past Participants and Presentations
2022 Cohort
- Shauntel Garner-Anderson, Senior Trainer for Health Equity, Boston Public Health Commission
- Melissa Henry, Community Health Worker, Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Ric Henry, Community Leader, Health Leads
- Darris Jordan, Program Coordinator, Boston Public Health Commission
- Samantha Singh, Community Outreach, Springfield Health and Human Services
- Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, Volunteer, MOCHA
- Christopher Goffigan, Assistant Coordinator, Homeless Services, Boston Public Health Commission
- Yamira Gonzalez, Project Coordinator, Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging
- Cynthia Jones, President & Founder, A Path to Wholeness
- Tatecia Smith, Sexual Health Outreach & Engagement Coordinator, Tapestry Health
- Wendy Chin, Community Health Worker, Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Ana Jaramillo, Program Coordinator, Holyoke Health Center
- Gri Saex, Community Health Worker/Transportation Specialist, Baystate Health
- Tiffany Vassell, Registered Nurse, Cambridge Hospital
2019 Cohort
- Laura Adam, Director of Senior Services, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard
- Kenna Banda, Outreach Coordinator, Public Health Advocacy Institute Transformative Action Project
- Bria Gadsden, Wellness Peer Education Program Coordinator, Roxbury Prep
- DaVan Johnson, Director, Divine Revelations Healing and Birthing Center
- Emily Lewis, Managers of Arts, Culture & Civic Engagement, Sociedad Latina
- Laura Miller, Program Coordinator, Fenway Community Center
- Anissa Ray, Training Program Manager, Boston Public Health Commission
- Natanya Sanderson, Health Outreach Worker, Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Jholaine Simonds, Health Outreach Worker, Commonwealth Care Alliance
2018 Cohort
- Alithea Casimir, Clinical Responder, Justice Resource Institute
- Ursula DeAzevedo-Vesty, Health Education Program Coordinator, Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Elaina DeStefano, Strategic Programs Coordinator, Louis D Brown Peace Institute
- Kadian Edobar, Program Coordinator, ABCD Health Services
- Paul Francois, Resident Services Manager, Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation
- Lavell Fulks, Public Safety Coordinator, Madison Park Development Corporation
- Ominique Garner, Volunteer member, City of Boston Youth Action Board
- Sasha Heggie-Jackson, Founder and CEO, Jackson Center for Leadership
- Karen Koretsky, Coalition Director, Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition
- Alysha Noel, Community Engagement Coordinator, Boston Children’s at Martha Eliot Health Center
- Monalisa Smith, Founder and CEO, Mothers for Justice and Equality
2017 Cohort
- Elaine Adams, Registered Nurse & Exercise Instructor, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard – Healthy Moves
- Jean Dolin, Health Ambassador, Boston Alliance for Community Health (BACH) – Connect the Community
- Karen Gately, Executive Director, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard – Fit for Life
- Irvienne Goldson, Deputy Director, Health Services Department, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) – Assessing Food Insecurity Sister2Sister
- Ronald Lammy, Board President, Boston Elder HealthCare Disparities Coalition – Total Wellness for Elders
- Sahar Lawrence, Community Engagement Officer, Urban Edge Housing Corporation – Health in Housing
- Mary Ann Nelson, Executive Director, Mission Hill Health Movement – Know your Numbers!
- Corina Pinto, Health Ambassador, Boston Alliance for Community Health (BACH) – Comunidad, Equidad y Salud
- Nancy Rihan-Porter, Coordinator, Injury & Violence Prevention Program, Cambridge Public Health Department – Cambridge Prevention Coalition 2.0
- Nancy Smith, Program Manager for Community Outreach, Office of Public Health Preparedness, Boston Public Health Commission – Physical Activity Promotion as the Route to Preparedness Mindset: Muslim Women and Girl Learn How to Swim
2014 Cohort
- Rosa Beriguete, Family Partner Case Manger & Zumba Instructor – Dorchester House
- Hameen Edwards, Athletic Director – Boston Inner City Youth Tennis Program
- Kendra Graves, Founder & Instructor – Earthseed Yoga
- Mirlande Joseph, Greenway Community Organizer – Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
- Rosamaria Olortegui, Health Educator – Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Stephanie Simmons, Foodcorps Service Member – The Food Project
- Loni Zelfon, Assistant Culinary Educator – Future Chefs
- Albert Pless, Manager Men’s Health League – Cambridge Health Alliance
2012 Cohort
- Mary Barber, The Home for Little Wanderers – Physical Activity Plan for Residential School Programs
- Jennifer Beniquez, South End Community Health Center – Weight Initiative Now
- Aurora Cenolli, Latin American Health Institute – Comadres
- Daryl Golston, Codman Square Neighborhood Council – Codman Square Walk Group and Corner Store Initiative
- Marilyn Fulani Haynes, The Village for Education and Training – Veggie Patch Playgrounds
- Bill Loesch, Codman Square Neighborhood Council – Codman Square Walk Group and Corner Store Initiative
- Mary Lynch, Dorchester House – Healthy Weight for Life Clinic
- Karen Morson, Dorchester Neighborhood Service Center After School Enrichment Program – Project Healthy Living
- Ana Marina Vaquerano, Latin American Health Institute – Comadres
- Wenjun Zhai, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Association – Rock Your Body