Using community-based participatory action research and campus-community partnerships to build a movement of college student leaders in sexual and reproductive health

Background/Significance: Community-based participatory action research is a promising framework for promoting student learning and social action, especially in health areas that are often difficult to discuss with young adults, such as sexual and reproductive health. Objective/Purpose: The California Young Women's Collaborative (CYWC), a project of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, is a college student-led research and activism project that has had student cohorts at five different California public universities in the last five years. The purpose of CYWC is to provide leadership development and research training for college students through social activism projects in the areas of sexual health and reproductive justice. Methods: We will share our experiences of teaching and working on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study (involving a survey with over 800 students) as part of the 2009-2010 CWYC class. Results: Students used survey research results to develop social action campaigns on and off campus to educate school and community members about sexual and reproductive health issues. Along with the research results, we will discuss the various strategies students developed to raise awareness about women's sexual health issues and available services - including using social media, presenting to student clubs and organizations, participating in press conferences, and presenting to legislators and policy makers. Discussion/Conclusions: We will discuss the unique CBPR service-learning framework and offer recommendations for developing campus-community partnerships, particularly focusing on the individual and institutional benefits as well as the challenges experienced by partners and stakeholders involved in the project.