2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

326597
East Oakland Innovators: Integrating Design Thinking and CBPR for Community-Driven Change


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 4:50 p.m. - 5:10 p.m.

Rachel Berkowitz, MPH, Alameda County Public Health Department, Oakland, CA
Thea Anderson, MPH(c), MSW, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jessica Vechakul, PhD(c), MPH, SMME, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jaspal S. Sandhu, Gobee Group, LLC, Bellevue, WA
Jessica Luginbuhl, MPH, Family Health Services Division, Alameda County Public Health Department, Oakland, CA
Bina Shrimali, DrPH(c), MPH, Alameda County Public Health Department, Oakland, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Place-based work to address health inequities must be grounded in community assets and must result in tangible action. The Alameda County Public Health Department Best Babies Zone’s East Oakland Innovators (EOI) program combines community-based participatory research (CBPR) with human-centered design thinking (DT) to offer a unique, action-oriented approach for rapid resident-driven community development.

In 2014, nine English- and Spanish-speaking East Oakland residents developed and implemented community improvement projects in the Castlemont neighborhood as part of the EOI program. Their approach was guided by experiential training in DT methods and community-driven program development. Questionnaires were used to assess short-term program impact. A retrospective assessment of the program’s DT and CBPR approaches examined the effectiveness in combining these two frameworks.

The EOIs successfully implemented three projects: a campaign to publicize and promote local business, a women’s empowerment Sister Circle, and a parent self-care class series. The EOIs gave testimonials of personal growth as leaders through the program. Analysis of DT and CBPR applications revealed both tensions and harmony between the two frameworks, with concessions being made in regards to ongoing project implementation and evaluation due to lack of time and resources.

The EOI program successfully supported a cohort of dynamic, local leaders in strengthening their skills and engaging in small-scale community development. The program demonstrated the potential power of combining the DT and CBPR frameworks. Further examination of the long-term impact of the program and the possible utility of the DT-CBPR integration are necessary contributions to ongoing efforts for resident-driven community development.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Explain the similarities and differences between design thinking and CBPR frameworks Analyze the positives and negatives of the design thinking and CBPR integration Describe key strengths and challenges to implementing a rapid resident-driven design thinking program within the context of broader community development efforts as manifested in the East Oakland Innovators program

Keyword(s): Community Development, Methodology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the coordinator of the East Oakland Innovators program, and I received my MPH in Community Health and Development within the Rollins School of Public Health Department of Global Health. I have been trained in participatory research and action methods and have been a coordinator and driver of multiple collaborative community-based programs over the last 5 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4403.0: Community-Driven Change