P-04 Evaluating a 10-year community academic partnership in Grenada

Methods: Community-academic partnerships can be an effective approach for addressing social determinants of health or public health challenges by fostering communities’ control over issues affecting them and elevating community voices in decision-making. Since 2013, the University of Michigan School of Public Health Office of Public Health Practice and several organizations on the Eastern Caribbean Island of Grenada have collaborated on over 25 projects. This partnership has been successful and sustained over the years providing Master of Public Health students with the opportunity to support projects that impact health equity on the island. However, the impact from the community partners’ perspective had not been formally assessed. Five key informant interviews were conducted to understand the the strengths, challenges, and existing opportunities, specifically within the context of a global collaboration

Results: Six key themes emerged from the thematic analysis, showcasing the strenghts and opportunities to expand the partnership. The interviews explored the effects on the community and students, partnership design, considerations, and challenges that may influence the projects, and future ideas for collaboration. Overall, the partners interviewed have an exceptionally positive experience and expressed a strong desire for expanded collaboration beyond the one week in Grenada.

Conclusion: Community-academic partnerships provide a unique opportunity for engagement between academic institutions and organizations. This study contributed to the growing body of research around community-based participatory research focused on the Caribbean, highlighting the greater need for expanded research and more evaluation of partnerships between academic institutions and community and governmental organizations. The results of this evaluation can serve as a guide for future iterations of partnerships, particularly in the Caribbean region.