Objective: The Community Outreach and Information Dissemination Core (Outreach Core) addresses the need for community-based, participatory education based on the Empowerment Model employed by the 1890 Extension Program at South Carolina State University (SCSU). The Outreach Core addresses the theme of our EXPORT Center, which is the metabolic syndrome and health lifestyle change in youth and young adults.
Specific Aims : 1. To encourage greater community and individual involvement with minority health issues, specifically the metabolic syndrome, through community-directed, culturally sensitive programming. 2. To develop novel methods for communicating credible, relevant health information to under-served audiences, and to foster new audiences. 3. To promote more effective community decision making today and healthier generations tomorrow by involving youth and community leaders in leadership programs, institutes, and community service through outreach and risk reduction efforts. Methods & Innovation: The Outreach Core will integrate and extend successful programs at both institutions that have a track record of effective involvement with the health needs of low-income and ethnic minority citizens. The result wi|l he a coherent and unified effort aimed at reducing metabolic-syndrome related health disparities. The Outreach Core has three primary program components: (a) the Youth Leadership Initiative that integrates experience and effectiveness with ongoing broadcast programming (the Our Health Series);. (b) Internet training that emanates from and builds on Hands-on-Health; and (c) Community Leadership Institutes for enhancing the effectiveness and skills of traditional and non-tradtional leaders. Significance: The Outreach Core addresses a major and growing source of health disparities, i.e., the metabolic syndrome, at the level of primary prevention through a comprehensive program of community empowerment. This Core addresses the major objectives of the EXPORT Centers by promoting minority health aimed at reducing disparities, building capacity, promoting active participation of minorities in key health activities, and by integrating diverse community outreach activities into a coordinated attack on the root of the metabolic syndrome and its complications.
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