Resilient partners: The development of a university community collaboration to promote wellness for Head Start children and families

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Julia Mendez, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: This paper describes a theoretically driven approach uniquely suited for the development of research partnerships between university teams and local communities serving children enrolled in Head Start programs. A literature review on dimensions of successful research partnerships provides a backdrop for presenting the Resilience Partnership-Directed Approach (RPA) to conducting wellness research, with a specific emphasis on issues that arise when working with ethnic minority populations. RPA involves four stages that capture the evolution of collaborative research initiatives involving university-based research teams and community partners. Key methods and expected outcomes for each stage are reviewed and examples from a parent involvement project illustrate how attention to core processes of collaboration can produce data that benefit both the practitioner and research communities. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding the use of RPA and a discussion of a research partnership's effects on training for undergraduate and graduate students.

Additional Information

Publication
NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Intervention Field, 8(1), 36-55.
Language: English
Date: 2005
Keywords
Research partnerships, University teams, Local communities, Head Start, Wellness, Ethnic minorities

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