Project GRACE (Growing Reaching, Advocating for Change and Empowerment)

This project focuses on reducing the spread of HIV in African American communities. The initial focus of Project GRACE has been on decreasing HIV risk among early adolescents and families and reducing community disparities that were contributing to increased incidence of and risk for HIV. The intervention (Teach One Reach One-TORO) is an institutionalized model for training adult and teen lay health advisors as a strategy for reducing sexual activity and unprotected sex. This capacity and equity building model for CPBR has been sustained for over 7 years and has expanded by using performance poetry and photo-voice to further enhance the participant’s experience and knowledge. The Coalition is now pursing funding to address the issue of high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in rural communities.

Principal Investigator: Giselle Corbie-Smith, MD, MSc

Primary Funding Source: NIH-NIMHD

Funding Period: 9/30/2005- 2/28/2014

 

Grace 2 An Innovative Approach to Creating Sustainable Mechanisms for Conducting Outreach in At-Risk Minority Communities

Provide consultation and guidance for the conduct of lay health advisor (LHA) activities including, 1) Training of lay health advisors 2) Outcome process evaluation for the LHA intervention 3) Reporting of results to funders and the scientific community 4) Participate in monthly meetings with all partners. 5) Actively collaborate with other agencies and organizations participating as partners in the LHA intervention. Deliverables: 1) Monthly presence and participation at meetings. 2) Provision of assistance when requested for training, evaluation, and reporting of intervention activities.

Principal Investigator: Giselle Corbie-Smith

Funding: Community Enrichment Organization via Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust

Total Project Period: 7/1/08-6/30/11

 

A Participatory Intervention to Reduce HIV/STIs in African American Rural Youth – Partnership Supplement

This grant provides supplemental funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to R24M.D.001671 Project GRACE CBPR grant to support innovative scientific partnerships with community-based and faith-based health organizations working with African American rural youth. The grant enables us to enhance the evaluation plan of our HIV prevention intervention by providing a health intervention to the comparison communities, and to expand community partnerships via subcontracts to two community-based and one faith-based health organization serving the comparison communities. This enables us to work with local health organizations who can best bridge science to practice through their direct connection to health disparity populations. These funds not only enhance Project GRACE, but also create more jobs in the communities. This grant helps those hit the hardest with the current recession, strengthens and broadens scientific partnerships with community-based and faith-based health organizations, and invests in long term improvements in the community by reducing health disparities and improving socioeconomic conditions that cause health disparities.

Principal Investigator: Giselle Corbie-Smith, M.D., M.Sc.

Primary Funding Source: National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD)

Total Project Period: 9/1/09 – 2/28/14