About
the project
In
the spring of 2006, a team representing the Ontario
Health Promotion Resource System engaged in a dialogue with
colleagues in capacity building organizations in the United States
on promising practices for health promotion resource centres.
Before
the visits, the team circulated "Identifying
promising practices for Ontario's health promotion resource centres,"
describing who we are, how we work, and the focus of the dialogue.
The organizations
were selected through long standing network relationships. There
were no "look alikes" on the list. The team examined the
agencies' Mandates and Resources,
noting Lessons Learned and Action
Ideas.
The
goal of this project is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness
of health promotion resource centres (Ontario
Health Promotion Resource System) by identifying promising practices
among well-established U.S.-based resource centres.
Recognizing
our interest area of population health, we define resource centres
as organizations seeking to build community capacity and/or increase
use of tools and other innovations, by providing services (such
as training and consultation) and materials (such as workbooks,
tools, research information, etc). This endeavour is often referred
to as technical assistance, knowledge exchange, and community capacity
building.
We have entitled
this dialogue Health Promotion 2020 because the end goal
of capacity building is to help organizations and communities improve
our population's health. The dialogue is forward thinking and encourages
a focus on the future of health promotion.
This
project has been generously funded by the Public Health Agency of
Canada, Ontario Region. The views expressed herein do not necessarily
reflect the views of the funder.
Mandates
The team re-discovered
the importance of a coherent, shared understanding of health
promotion among the Ontario resource centres, rooted in the
Ottawa
Charter, reflected in the mandates, approaches and delivery
systems of Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse, The Health Communication
Unit, and Ontario Health Promotion Resource System.
With minor differences,
the mandates of the three Ontario resource centres are to help organizations
and communities improve population health by building capacity among
individuals and communities.
The mandates
of the US organizations were more varied and eclectic.
 Academy
for Educational Development, Washington, DC
http://www.aed.org/
To solve
critical social problems and build the capacity of individuals,
communities, and institutions to become more self-sufficient.
Benton Foundation, Washington,
DC
http://www.benton.org/
To articulate
a public interest vision for the digital age and to demonstrate
the value of communications for solving social problems.
Berkeley Media Studies
Group, Berkeley, California
http://www.bmsg.org
To support
development, execution, and evaluation of media strategies.
Centre
for Substance Abuse Prevention, Washington, DC
http://prevention.samhsa.gov/
To develop
comprehensive prevention systems that create healthy communities
in which people enjoy a quality life.
Innovation
Network, Washington, DC
http://www.innonet.org
To increase
evaluation and planning knowledge and skills for the nonprofit
and philanthropic field, and to build the ability of nonprofits
to meet their missions.
National
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.cdc.gov/
To protect
the health and safety of all Americans and provide essential human
services, especially for those people who are least able to help
themselves.
National
Youth Anti-Drug Campaign, Washington, DC
http://www.mediacampaign.org
Intervention
that, through its actions, media attention to it, the technical
resources it publishes, and its engagement with many other organizations,
builds capacity regarding health communication.
Prevention
Institute, Oakland, California
http://www.preventioninstitute.org/
To improve
community health and well being by building momentum for effective
primary prevention.
Society
for Public Health Education, Washington, DC
http://www.sophe.org
To promote
healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments
through membership, local chapters, and its numerous partnerships.
This
project has been generously funded by the Public Health Agency of
Canada, Ontario Region. The views expressed herein do not necessarily
reflect the views of the funder.
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Health
Promotion 2020 is a virtual tour through the dialogue, and
a map to take us into the future.
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