) The purpose of this proposal is to implement and evaluate a community outreach education program for SHARE-D.C. Health Advocates and a cancer prevention and control training program for Georgetown University (GU) nursing students, while linking both education programs to community service learning through the SHARE Health Project (SHP). The SHP is a community-based cancer prevention and control project which focuses on promoting good nutrition and the early detection of cancer among high-risk and low income African American D.C. residents who purchase food each month through SHARE. The Health Advocate training program is called REACH (Responsibility, Education and Action for Community Health). The proposed training program evolved from the expressed interest of students, faculty and community personnel to provide background and training in community-based strategies for cancer prevention and control. Thus, basic and advanced training for Health Advocates and nursing students are built around a community-based cancer prevention and control program.
The specific aims of this training grant proposal are to: 1) annually recruit no more than ten and no less than five new SHARE-D.C. host organizations with an identified team of two to three SHARE members to participate in REACH basic training; 2) provide Health Advocate trainees five six-hour cancer prevention and control REACH health education sessions focused on leadership training; 3) annually provide GU School of Nursing students with education and basic training in cancer prevention and control in medically underserved communities; 4) provide four six-hour sessions of advanced health leadership training to those Health Advocates and nursing students who, during basic training, have demonstrated the greatest potential for assuming a strong leadership role within the SHP; 5) provide training and recruitment leadership opportunities, for Health Advocates and nursing students who have completed advanced training; and 6) implement a process and outcome evaluation plan that provides qualitative and quantitative measures for the basic and advanced training modules and which involves Health Advocates and nursing students in the review and evaluation of the training program and the SHP.
