JULY 2021 UPDATES:
The month of July has been crucial in setting the stage for R3’s long-term success. Cecilia and the team have spent the month preparing to begin the search for three Resident Reviewers. These Reviewers will be Residents of Public Housing who are trained to examine research proposals and work with researchers to modify protocols and meet the community’s needs. They will be fairly compensated for their expertise and experiences, and will have the opportunity to work with R3’s partner organizations to shape research conducted in their communities.
The R3 Team has also been thinking hard about ways to involve younger Residents in the decision making process, and ultimately settled on reaching this goal through youth programming. The Team hopes to assemble a group of teenagers and young adults who are interested in learning about community advocacy to help spread the word about all that R3 has to offer. Cecilia has met with a community member to discuss effective outreach methods. In the coming weeks, she will be posting flyers around all Public Housing sites, followed by on-the-ground outreach in order to connect with community members and learn about their needs.
Our doorknocking campaign is designed to let the community know we are ready to get the project off the ground, and that this is the moment to share support, ask questions, and get involved. We will plan on hosting a kickoff event at the beginning of September, when hiring for the Resident Reviewers will begin, in order to further discuss R3 and research in the community. This event will include an educational component as well as a group discussion, and the goal will be for the R3 team to learn from the community and begin paving the path toward reviewing our first research proposal!
Cecilia has been busy creating educational materials this month as well. She has developed two comprehensive onboarding training sessions for the Resident Reviewers, and plans to create two more in the coming weeks. These sessions outline the basics of PHAR, R3, and proposal review. Additionally, she has been drafting a short, informational workshop for community members hoping to learn about the project.
R3’s major successes this month include:
- ● Creation of two Resident Reviewer Onboarding Trainings and Presentations
- ● Development of a Doorknocker Training Workshop
- ● Creation of a Community Member Workshop
- ● Finalization of outreach and hiring timeline for Resident Reviewers
- ● Collection of materials for outreach (e.g. flyers for distribution, an informational video)
- ● Organization of youth doorknocking programming and informational community workshop
None of these successes would be possible without the support of the Equity Center and R3’s team members. We are thrilled to be making such great strides and look forward to hearing about how we can best serve our communities.
If you are a Resident of Public Housing who is interested in participating in our doorknocking campaign, fill out this Google Form for more information.