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Do you want to be part of an organization of social change professionals where scientific rigor, practical solutions and progressive social values come together?
If you do, then consider that Community Science is recruiting for the following positions:
We've experienced growth in the past few months so we are recruiting for motivated professionals who can help us take the practice of social change through science and capacity building to a higher level. To apply, please click on a link above.
NPA Has Launched!
Community Science responsible for National Evaluation
On April 8, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services launched a major initiative to end health disparities with the release of two strategic plans: the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity, a product of the National Plan for Action (NPA). The two strategies complement each other: the HHS plan outlines the goals and actions HHS will take to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities and the NPA plan provides a set of goals and actions for public and private sector initiatives and partnerships to help racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved groups reach their full health potential. (see www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa).
Community Science is responsible for the national evaluation and is working closely with the Office of Minority Health and other experts to finalize both the evaluation plan for the NPA as well as a plan to build the capacity of community organizations to access and use data.
Continue ReadingRecent Presentations by David Chavis, Community Science Principal Associate & CEO
Webinar, sponsored by FSG, June 15: "Focusing on what matters: Engaging stakeholders in developing evaluation questions". David was a panelist on this webinar, discussing the stakeholder engagement process described in "A Practical Guide for Engaging Stakeholders in Developing Evaluation Questions".
Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Meeting 2011, Chicago, Thursday, June 16: David was a panelist on a roundtable discussion of: "How does sense of community and social capital contribute to building communities"?
Saturday, June 18th: David presented a paper "Global Investigations Using the Sense of Community Index-2: Potential and Challenges" as part of a symposium on Advancing Theory and Measurement of Psychological Sense of Community. Dr. Chavis presented findings on recent research which tests a new measure of sense of community - the SCI-2.
Out and About: CS in the Community
Community Science is helping three local non-profit organizations write a proposal to the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation for a program to support middle school aged youth. Associate Zachary Miller is working on behalf of Community Science on a pro bono basis with Arts on the Block, the YMCA and the Gandhi Brigade to facilitate their meetings, create a logic model and provide expertise on community-based work. Community Science is committed to working with local non-profits to strengthen our community. This pro bono work is in addition to our other charitable activities, such as our Day of Service, and year-end donations to each employee’s favorite charity.
New Employee Spotlight : Julia Lee
Community Science is pleased to welcome Julia Lee as our newest Managing Associate. Prior to joining Community Science, Ms. Lee worked for a non-profit organization in Georgia as a Program Coordinator for the Georgia Asian Pacific Islander Community Coalition and Research Program Director. Her main responsibility was to mobilize various grassroots organizations on issues that affect the immigrant community through various advocacy strategies and capacity building efforts. She will be defending her dissertation in June for a Ph.D. in Community Psychology.
Research & Development at Community Science
Community Science has a 14 year history in the research and development of products and strategies that help develop healthy, just and equitable communities. Our current research and development efforts are focused on three important products:
* JourneyStart - a unique on-line assessment and action tool for health-related and other organizations focusing on an organization's readiness to examine its cross-cultural competency and take action. JourneyStart focuses on an organization’s policies, procedures, and practices and provides advice on how to strengthen the organization’s cross-cultural capacity, not the individuals within the organization.
* ChangeThinkers - an on-line "space" for grantees and others to share ideas and best practices, get help and find resources in order to create a learning community.
* Strength of Community Workshop and Toolkit - an assessment and action kit that builds on our internationally used Sense of Community Index-2 to help funders, government agencies, and community groups learn how strong a community they have and how to strengthen it even further.
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Why is Community So Important?
Publications
Scope, Scale, and Sustainability: What It Takes to Create Lasting Community Change
How can we address complex social problems in communities and make an impact on a larger scale? By changing institutions' policies and practices, and developing new strategies that address root causes of social problems. Community Science' David M. Chavis, Ph.D. and Tina R. Trent, M.A., (now with NeighborWorks America) co-authored Scope, Scale, and Sustainability: What It Takes to Create Lasting Community Change, published in the inaugural issue of The Foundation Review.
In the study, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, eleven completed community change initiatives (CCI) were analyzed to better understand what had been learned from these initiatives about how to reach the scope, scale, and sustainability needed to achieve lasting community change.
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Strategic Factors for Building Community: The Five C’s Community, Connections, Control, Cash, & Collective Action
This brief report describes the strategic factors for stimulating community -wide health and well-being. It illustrates how each of the Five C’s “can be put together to develop an effective, broad-reaching, and sustainable community development strategy”.
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The Importance of Culture in Evaluation
The Importance of Culture in Evaluation, a publication funded by The Colorado Trust, provides insights to help guide the complex dynamics between evaluators, funders and stakeholders of different cultures. The report provides examples of where cross-cultural competency is critical in evaluation and recommends questions and strategies that an evaluator should consider when practicing this form of cultural competency.
To order additional copies of this report, click here.
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Safe Start- Principles for Engaging and Retaining Families in Services
This report was developed by Community Science for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for the Safe Start Initiative. It describes the promising principles for engaging and retaining families in non-mandated services.
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About Community Science 
Community Science is a research and development organization that works with governments, foundations, and non-profit organizations on solutions to social problems through community and other systems changes. Community Science’s goal is to strengthen the science and practice of community change in order to build healthy, just and equitable communities. Our services include research and evaluation services, capacity-building products and services, and initiative management and support.