A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
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DEAR COMMUNITY PARTNERS A s we deploy our collective effort to confront and address a global pandemic that has significantly impacted our nation and local communities, we have emerged with a stronger commitment to building a healthier, more equitable, and trustworthy society collectively. The N ew J ersey H ealthcare E ssential Wo R ker O utreach and E ducation S tudy— T esting O verlooked O ccupations, or NJ HEROES TOO project led by a dynamic multidisciplinary team at Rutgers University in collaboration with community-based and healthcare organizations embraced a new unique model for advancing community-engaged research. Our team is committed to helping to improve COVID-19 awareness in underserved communities. Our bi-directional engagement encompasses research, data, mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and principles that are cultivated in trustworthiness, reciprocity, respect, alignment, and transparency.
“Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”
—The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Community Engagement Classification
This work could not be accomplished without the dedicated commitment of our community partners. Having your pulse on some of the most vulnerable NJ communities impacted by COVID-19 really made the difference. Collectively, we were able to address and deliver much needed support and services, touch lives, and produce timely scholarly research. Our bi-directional communication allowed for researchers to engage with community in a meaningful, authentic dialogue that contributed to the development and design of marketing and culturally appropriate materials. We learned from each other! We shared with each other! We are a team—and together we can continue to help guide scholarly research around sound community engagement principles.
Sincerely,
Shawna Hudson, PhD • Diane Hill, PhD • Martin Blaser, MD • Manny Jiménez, MD, MS, FAAP Emily Barrett, PhD • Reynold Panettieri, Jr., MD Principal Investigators
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