Community-Based System Dynamics (CBSD) is a participatory method for engaging and working with communities and organizations to address complex issues. Developed from group model building and system dynamics, CBSD is now being used around the world, both in research and practice, to engage diverse communities and organizations. This 5-day course provides an introduction to CBSD, with opportunities for participants to receive feedback on preliminary designs for their own CBSD work. Participants will build capabilities relevant to CBSD, including qualitative causal mapping skills, exposure to system dynamics simulation models, skills on identifying issues appropriate for CBSD, assessing community readiness, convening a core modeling team, workshop design and facilitation.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an orientation to research that begins with community research interests and seeks to use the knowledge gained to inform action for community health improvements and social change. Although this approach to research is widely adopted in urban health and generally familiar to both community-based organizations and researchers, many still struggle with the lack of knowledge or experience with applying practical CBPR approaches to a pressing community health issue or potential research partnership.

Improving the quality of data visualizations can help in communicating results more clearly and transparently to other scientists, stakeholders and the general public. This course will use a workshop format to help students build their own data visualization projects using R, with Urban Health examples. The five sessions will include:

Please note this course takes place over three days (Friday 1:30-5:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:00am-4:30pm). The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess or evaluate urban health challenges, and potential solutions, with a focus on the Philadelphia context. Students are expected to have some prior experience with GIS and be familiar with acquiring spatial data, data management, symbolizing features and making maps, and data coordinate and projection systems.

Please note this course takes place over three days (Friday 1:30-5:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:00am-4:30pm). Health Impact Assessment has been proposed by the World Health Organization as a key tool for health in all policies and has been widely used in the urban context. The course will describe the methods and utility of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in urban areas. The steps for completing HIA will be learned through practical exercises.

Please note this course takes place over 3 days. (Friday 1:30-5:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:00am-4:30pm) The way information is communicated can make the difference between a successful or failed response in a public health disaster. Combining theory and practice, this course places an emphasis on the core principles of crisis and risk communication, examines how various audiences perceive and react to risk, and emphasizes the important role of effective communication before, during, and following a disaster. Through a series of readings, interactive lectures, case studies, and activities, students will learn how to better understand and communicate with communities affected by a crisis.