P-02 Building local capacity with regional impact: a community partnership between the Grenada Red Cross Society and the University of Michigan School of Public Health

Methods: GRCS, whose mission focuses on health promotion and safety, emergency management, social welfare, and youth development, served as the primary community partner in this initiative. For this partnership, the GRCS and UMSPH co-designed and implemented a series of applied public health projects aligned with GRCS priorities. Work was conducted through regular partner meetings, iterative review, and input from GRCS staff/volunteers, and assessment to develop practical tools and recommendations. The partnership was formalized through a signed memorandum of understanding and the launch of a summer internship program pairing graduate students with GRCS priority projects under joint supervision, with deliverables and lessons used to refine the model.

Results: This case study outlines the multi-year collaboration between the Grenada Red Cross Society and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Since 2020, projects have included: conducting a SWOT analysis; creating a volunteer policy to strengthen organizational capacity; creating the GRCS engagement framework; a blueprint for a national sustainable volunteer-based blood donation model; a youth leader handbook; and multi-hazard preparedness materials. These outputs have been disseminated across the Eastern Caribbean as adaptable templates for regional implementation.

Conclusion: The community–academic partnership illustrates a unique global model of engagement between academic institutions and national organizations, fostering five years of sustained development in Grenada while enabling graduate public health students and Grenadian communities to collaboratively address social, community, and health equity priorities. The outcomes of these projects have also informed and guided other Eastern Caribbean countries.