Volume 26, Issue 5: October, 1999

Abstract

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: ESTABLISHING LASTING COLLABORATIONS

Rudolph S. Jackson, DrPH, Bobbie Reddick, RN, EdD

Address reprint requests to:
Rudolph S. Jackson, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27514; phone: (919) 560.5442; fax: (919) 560-5590; e-mail: rjackson@wpo.nccu.edu

This article highlights the experiences of the HealthWise Church Project, a community outreach initiative between a diverse group of African American churches and a university health education program. The objective of the program was to develop early detection and illness prevention networks among older church members. Not all partnerships result in long-term collaborations, and this article makes a clear distinction between different types of "working together" arrangements. The project discussed in this article presents a four-stage model to illustrate how organizations achieve collaborative partnerships. Involving community partners in the early phase of project planning contributed to the success of the church-university collaboration. This type of shared planning helped to sustain community interest during the project's implementation.