Additional resources

In addition to step-specific resources, a number of other materials may be useful for program planning and implementation.

These additional resources fall into the following categories: 

Accessing and Conducting Research

A guide from the University of Wisconsin Extension with procedures for summarizing information from sources, such as open-ended questions, individual interviews, or focus groups.

A guide from the University of Wisconsin Extension with a discussion of basic concepts of statistical analysis, such as frequencies, percentage, averages, ranges, and standard deviation.

2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides scientific support for efforts to implement policies, programs, professional best practices, and individual actions to reduce disparities.

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The report addresses disparities at the national level in health care access, exposure to environmental hazards, mortality, morbidity, behavioral risk factors, disability status, and social determinants of health. The findings in the full report, an executive summary, presentation, and 23 fact sheets can be used to intervene at the state, tribal, and local levels to best address health disparities and inequalities. 

A free website, sponsored by the Community-Campus Partnership for Health for peer-reviewing, publishing, and disseminating products of health-related community-engaged scholarship that are in forms other than journal articles.

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The website contains high-quality tools and resources that can be directly downloaded or obtained from the author, typically free of charge.

The Foundation produces research and data about the complex health and health care issues facing the US and publishes program evaluations and reports at the end of many projects. 

PubMed Central® (PMC) is a free archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the US National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM).

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Launched in February 2000, PMC was developed and is managed by NLM’s National Center for Biotechnology Information. PMC contains a repository of nearly 2 million journal articles.

Report and guide from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture with a step-by-step description of how to conduct a focus group.

Community Based Participatory Research

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes health equity and social justice through collaborations between communities and academic institutions. The organization provides training, technical assistance, and a membership network.

Connecting science to practice

A website providing information and resources on topics of health and social equity to inform policies and decision-making.

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Human Impact Partners provides support, such as research, capacity building, advocacy, and field building to its partners, particularly are social determinants of health.

Key Issues that this organization focuses on include:

  • Criminal Justice
  • Economic Security
  • Immigration
  • Housing
  • Land and Transportation Use

A website developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that provides free tools and resources to help design, acquire funding for, execute and disseminate Implementation Science research projects.

The IHI website is an excellent resource for those wishing to learn more about creating systems-level change and using evaluation to drive improvement.

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An independent not-for-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, IHI focuses on motivating and building the will for change, identifying and testing new models of care in partnership with both patients and healthcare professionals, and ensuring the broadest possible adoption of best practices and effective innovations.

A video series from Health Resources in Action to help community leaders and public health professionals understand and use the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) tool.

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The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) tool is increasingly being used in the United States to identify health impacts before critical decisions are made, to facilitate collaboration among policymakers and decision-makers in different fields, and ultimately to improve the health of Americans. Learn more about how to use this tool in this video series from Health Resources in Action.

A website providing a broad range of practical, easy-to-use tools that guide practitioners, advocates, and policymakers in planning health strategy and in contributing to safer, healthier, and more equitable communities.

An online community from the National Cancer Institute that links cancer control practitioners and researchers, and provides opportunities for discussion, learning, and enhanced collaboration on moving research into practice.

A database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides information, tools, and resources about the social determinants of health (such as income, education, and employment) which can have important impacts on the health of communities.

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This CDC website provides resources that have useful data for improving community health. 

This guide was developed based on a presentation, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to guide researchers through the decisions that must be addressed to effectively translate and disseminate their work to policymakers and public health practitioners.

Crisis Planning for Nonprofits

This website from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network highlights a range of local resources, including philanthropic and government relief opportunities, state and federal policy updates, PPP loan application resources, webinars, and resources for virtual fundraisers and events.

This webinar (see slide deck here) from HBS Community Partners of California addresses strategies to help nonprofits survive the crisis and plan for the future, including budgeting for a range of scenarios, making difficult decisions about streamlining, and pivoting to address COVID.

This piece from CLA Connect offers links to budgeting tools and provides overall guidance suggestion from a leader who has weathered economic downturns and other crises.

This portion of the Boston Foundation's website covers a diverse range of resources to address the needs of various populations in Massachusetts, with some details of funds/ partnership opportunities for local nonprofits. 

This piece from the Nonprofit Quarterly offers tips on managing cash flow, considering outcomes in impact and financial terms, and strategic inclusion/ communication practices.

Health communication

A website from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work that allows users to create compelling communication materials with ease by using pre-formatted local health data with attributed sources to include in your press releases, news stories, reports, grants, or policy briefs.

The COVID-19 Health Literacy Project creates and translates accessible COVID-19 information into different languages to help all patients know when, and how, to seek care. The materials are created in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing.

Produced by the Brown School of Public Health and the Harvard Global Health Institute, and developed with input from mayors and local leaders, this Toolkit is a free, public resource that equips those interested in communication about COVID-19 testing with tools and resources to run motivating, clear campaigns for communities. 

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The toolkit offers guidance on campaigning best practices, easy-to-use practical tools, and a large library of ‘plug and play’ testing communication materials such as social media cards and posts, animations, newsletters, and handouts.

Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this website provides resources for individuals and programs to protect and promote the public's health through collaborative and innovative health marketing programs, products, and services that are customer-centered, science-based, and high-impact. 

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The site also includes resources on partnerships, research, evaluation, and professional development.

A planning guide from the National Cancer Institute that serves as a useful introduction or reminder about the science of health communication, written to be accessible to a diverse group of practitioners and researchers.  

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Particularly useful topics include program planning steps and theories of behavior change.

This toolkit was created to support community-based practitioners in preparing strategic communications (or agenda-driven communications), especially when working with local news media. Developed in 2013, but with important practice implications for today.

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The manual provides a basic starting point for practitioners looking to develop effective messages, build media relations, and frame news articles. It includes tips for creating and disseminating materials such as news releases and advisories, as well as pointers on the art of interviewing, and samples of media products.

HPV Outreach Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website with resources for parents/guardians on how to frame discussions about HPV vaccination.

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Resources focus on discussing HPV vaccination as cancer prevention and include:

  • Tips and time savers for talking with parents about HPV vaccine
  • HPV safety fact sheet
  • Videos recommending HPV vaccine and answering questions
  • Framing the conversation with parents about the HPV vaccine
  • AAP HPV Champion Toolkit

2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet with information about HPV, the most commonly sexually transmitted infection in the United States and worldwide.

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This factsheet contains the following information:

  • What is HPV?
  • How is HPV spread?
  • Does HPV cause health problems?
  • Does HPV cause cancer?
  • How can I avoid HPV and the health problems it causes?
  • How do I know if I have HPV?
  • How common is HPV and the health problems caused by HPV?
  • I’m pregnant. Will having HPV affect my pregnancy?
  • Can I be treated for HPV or health problems caused by HPV?

A guide from the Immunization Action Coalition that provides parents with easy to follow information on HPV and HPV vaccines for youth.

The American Academy of Pediatrics created this toolkit to equip providers with the best resources to educate other healthcare professionals, discuss HPV vaccination with parents and caregivers, and make necessary changes in their practice to improve HPV vaccination rates.

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The toolkit includes printable resources, key points for improving vaccination rates, practice-based changes, teaching-tools, videos, updated information related to the HPV vaccine, and more.

This comic-style, educational brochure was designed for 11-year old children and their caregivers to provide educational information about HPV and the importance of HPV vaccination. Created by a team from the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, the brochure is an engaging and family-friendly educational resource for pre-teens and caregivers. The product emphasizes the idea that HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. Rev. 2020.

This comic-style, educational brochure was designed for Spanish-speaking 11-year old children and their caregivers to provide educational information about HPV and the importance of HPV vaccination. Created by a team from the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, the brochure is an engaging and family-friendly educational resource for pre-teens and caregivers. The product emphasizes the idea that HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. Rev. 2020.

A one-page fact sheet from the CDC that provides basic information about HPV and HPV vaccine in Brazilian Portuguese.

This two-page fact sheet from the American Cancer Society for parents and caregivers covers the basics of HPV vaccination. Rev. 2020.

This two-page fact sheet from the American Cancer Society for parents and caregivers covers the basics of HPV vaccination in Spanish. Rev. 2020.

This one-page infographic from the American Cancer Society shows why children should be vaccinated between ages 9 and 12. Rev. 2020.

This one-page infographic from the American Cancer Society shows why children should be vaccinated between ages 9 and 12 in Spanish. Rev. 2020.

This one-page fact sheet from the American Cancer Society illustrates the 4 things parents and caregivers should know about HPV vaccination. Rev. 2020.

This one-page fact sheet from the American Cancer Society illustrates the 4 things parents and caregivers should know about HPV vaccination in Portuguese. Rev. 2020.

This one-page fact sheet from the American Cancer Society illustrates the 4 things parents and caregivers should know about HPV vaccination in Spanish. Rev. 2020.

Opportunities for Youth to Engage in Research

The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program introduces Massachusetts high school and college students from underrepresented populations to the world of cancer research by placing them in real research settings at local cancer research institutions. 

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Our goal is to encourage students to pursue future careers in the biosciences- particularly cancer research- giving practical meaning to academic course work and to expand and extended their interest in basic, clinical and/or population science research. At the same time, students make a valuable contribution to the DF/ HCC research mission.

The DF/ HCC CURE Program introduces high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented populations to the world of cancer research in real research settings, to expand and extend their interest in basic, clinical, nursing and/or population science research. Students choose between a summer-only or three-year track.

This program is a virtual six-week research-intensive summer program hosted by The Office of Diversity and Inclusion within the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. FACETS offers a cadre of coursework, professional development, and networking opportunities with the goal of increasing students' competitiveness for graduate school admissions.

The Outreach Core (OC) offers paid summer research and outreach opportunities for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students- particularly those from underrepresented minority backgrounds- who are interested in cancer/ cancer disparities, public health, and community outreach. 

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OC interns will be selected and matched with an internship site, depending on interest, and can be placed at DF/ HCC community-based research labs, Community-based Organizations, or Faith-based Organizations in the Boston area or Lawrence, MA.

The Research Education Core (REC) offers paid summer research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students- particularly those from underrepresented minority backgrounds- who are interested in cancer/ cancer child disparities research.

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Trainees are matched, depending on interest, and placed at either a UMass Boston or DF/HCC research lab. Trainees are required to participated in professional development activities and present their work at local and national conferences.

The Post-Baccalaureate fellowship engages talented, highly motivated recent college graduates in full-time, mentored, cancer research experiences in research environments across DF/ HCC and UMass Boston.

The Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program was developed to meet the national need for highly skilled faculty and researchers committed to better understand and address cancer health disparities. This program is designed to provide an additional year of support to a post-doctoral fellow who is currently engaged in a research program and seeks to extend their fellowship.

The Summer Program to Advance Research Careers (SPARC) is a 12-week intensive research experience focused on emerging technologies (ET) in cancer and cancer disparities. Each year, 30 undergraduates who have just completed the first or second year will engage in full-time mentored cancer/ cancer research experiences in research environments across DF/ HCC and UMB.

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SPARC students will be selected from UMB and its top feeder community colleges (Bunker Hill, Roxbury, and Mass Bay) and matched with mentors in research environments focused on cancer and cancer disparities research using emerging technologies.

The UMass Boston - DF/HCC Partnership offers several training programs for students to develop the necessary skills needed to excel in scientific research, specifically in the area of cancer and cancer health disparities.

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Programs target students from the undergraduates to post-doctoral level and focus on critical areas to develop successful and innovative cancer researchers.

The Young Empowered Scientists for ContinUed for Engagement (YES for CURE) is a three-year training initiative for highly motivated high school and undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in scientific research.

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Through engagement in mentored summer research projects, participation in an advances scientific curriculum during the academic year, and year-round professional skills training, students will acquire scientific knowledge and technical skills, and increase their understanding of how to conduct biomedical research. This initiative is funded through an R25 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI CA221738).

Resources for First Generation Students

As part of the NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education, this conference will convene scholars and practitioners from June 27-29, 2022, to discuss how higher education professionals across the academy can develop effective approaches to support and improve the outcomes of first-generation college students.

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The conference will offer educational sessions and networking opportunities, presentations from feature speakers, real-time engagement with sponsors, and more.

TRIO/Student Support Services is a federally funded program that provides personalized academic advising and encouragement to Bunker Hill Community College students who are first-generation, income-eligible, or individuals who have a documented disability.

The Black First-Gen Collective may provide support, study, and disseminate intentional research, praxis, and policy that specifically explores, interrogates, unpacks, and disaggregates the unique experiences of Black first-generation students.

Class Action's First Ge Mentoring Program facilitates a relationship among former and current first-gen college students by providing mentor guidelines, mentee guidelines, and mentorship pairing. Students will have to fill out and submit the questionnaire provided at the bottom of the page.

This website provides practical advice and lessons learned by high school seniors and college students who have made it to college. In addition, there are resources for college advisors and parents as well.

BEAST is a free 4-day pre-orientation program that focuses on the unique social and cultural experiences specific to students who may be the first in their families to attend college, and for students speaking guidance on navigating financial and academic resources at Tufts. The program provides students with useful resources, and skills to navigate social and academic aspects of college life, while also providing mentorship and network opportunities. 

This page provides community resources on campus, academic and professional resources on-campus counseling and mental health services, study abroad guidelines, information on centers and programs that specifically support first-generation students, and more.

The FIRST Resource Center works to provide the necessary financial knowledge, information about Tufts, and access to opportunities and resources for students to be successful during their time at the University. Resources also include resources for parents and families, translation services, resources for undocumented students, and more.

This webpage introduces provides resources for UMass first-generation students and alumni such as research opportunities, articles, scholarships, and more.

U54 and Local Partner Findings

This brief for practitioners highlights opportunities to link community outreach and information from trusted providers to increase HPV vaccination rates in underserved communities. 

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Data come from a recent study conducted by U54 researchers that used focus group discussions with adolescents and caregivers from underserved communities in Greater Boston and Greater Lawrence, MA to explore these ideas.

A summary from the Health Communication Core describing the strategic process used for developing a Boston Public Health Commission campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of smoke-free housing for landlords and their tenants.

Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health implemented a study on the role of community stakeholders in supporting policy implementation of Graphic Health Warning labels on tobacco packages.

Project Here is a substance abuse app geared towards middle school students to promote social-emotional learning and to empower students to make health decisions. The app is funded by the GE Foundation and the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.

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The online toolkit is a compilation of flexible, evidence-based substance use prevention tools that include immediate access to 50+ lesson plans, worksheets, and PowerPoint presentations on topics ranging from stress management to marijuana education to how to respond to real-life scenarios.

A case study from the Health Communication Core describing how researchers disseminated data from a survey of cancer-screening behaviors among Boston firefighters exposed to high rates of carcinogens in a 2002 fire, to increase awareness of screening recommendations among firefighters and Boston Fire Department leadership. 

This 2020 brief presents Project SPRING findings, which examined cigarette smoking risks and protective factors for transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) individuals using real-world stories and examples from private Facebook and Instagram groups. The project was led by junior faculty and was a pilot project of the U54 Partnership between the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

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Findings from this study will serve as the foundation for designing culturally responsive messages to promote smoking cessation through social media among the transgender and gender-expansive community.

This brief presents findings from a study conducted in Greater Boston and Greater Lawrence by the researchers and community partners behind PLANET MassCONECT.

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The results highlight the needs and desires of staff and leaders of community- and faith-based organizations as they relate to interventions to build capacity for evidence-based programming among staff and volunteers.