Community Educators
Community Educators serve as a bridge between researchers and the communities where trials are implemented. They help develop community relations and are liaisons to the sites' Community Advisory Boards (CABs). Community education is not recruitment; it is a process that helps to lay the foundation for recruitment and ongoing dialogue between community members and researchers.
Educational strategies should focus on:
- increasing awareness of trial participants, community members infected and affected by HIV, and the community at-large about HIV prevention research,
- increasing participation in research trials.
- new movements and trends in HIV prevention
(for example, how are studies affected by the rapidly changing landscape
with regard to access to antiretrovirals in resource-poor settings),
scientific concerns in the design and development of clinical trials, - and HPTN efforts and initiatives.
Community education efforts also include strategies that increase the knowledge level of researchers and staff about historical, cultural, social and political issues and needs of the community and facilitate ongoing reciprocal learning and interaction between community members and researchers. Before one can embark on study-specific and target population-specific education that can support trial recruitment, it is important that the community at large is sensitized about all aspects of HIV prevention research.
Considerable variations in community education activities exist among HPTN sites, depending on the type of trial being conducted, if the site is international or U.S., urban or rural, with established or emerging community advisory structures, and the resources available.
Community Educator Roles
HPTN Community Educators are responsible for the development and implementation of site-specific community involvement workplans that outline goals, objectives and scope of work, including community needs assessment. At the local level, efforts should be undertaken to assess and identify the appropriate educational strategies and types of educational materials that need to be developed to accurately educate potential trial participants and their communities about the research agenda, in collaboration with local community members. Many have already developed and implemented creative and culturally appropriate techniques to increase awareness of the research and to promote understanding of scientific concepts such as "placebo" and "randomization." For example, educators might utilize drummers to gather people together, and educational drama to illustrate how a study participant learns about trial procedures and other technical aspects of the study, and then poses challenging questions to a counselor.
Educators are responsible for assuring that community members understand that research is not provision of care, and at the same time assuring that, through the CAB, community members have input into study issues such as determining appropriate and non-coercive incentives for trial participation, as well as the packages of services that make up the standard of care. They need to have a firm grasp of ethical considerations, such as making sure that informed consent of trial participants is truly understood and voluntary.
Community Educator Resources
Resources have been developed by the CORE community program staff to assist community educators with the development, implementation and evaluation of their site community involvement efforts. They include:
- Job Description for Community Educators (Word 97)
- Quarterly Report Instructions and Definitions (Word 97)
- Quarterly Reporting Form (Word 97)
- Community Involvement Program Guidance (PDF)
- Community Workplan Guidance (Word 97)
- Budget Guidance for Community (PDF)
Community Educators Conference Calls
HPTN Community Educators meet quarterly by conference call to discuss cross-cutting and site-specific issues, such as development and implementation of community involvement workplans, special challenges with regard to participation in protocol development, CAB involvement in research, training and technical assistance needs, and best practices. As a result of discussions among Community Educators of the need for both regional linkages, Community Educators also meet bi-monthly by conference call within their respective regional working groups (see RWG page). In addition, study-specific conference calls have been initiated to bring together Community Educators from sites participating in the same protocol, such as the Phase II/III microbicide trial HPTN 035, and include the protocol team chair, CORE protocol specialist and CORE community program staff.
Community Educator Contacts
Jonathan Lucas, Community Program Manager, FHI
Rhonda White, Community Program Manager, FHI
Kristy Alston, Community Program Administrative Assistant, FHI
Community Educators
Derrick Arnelle get info
Olga Bogoliubova get info
Gail Broder get info
Carlos Alberto da Silva get info
Julie Davids get info
Annet Davis-Vogel get info
Janet Frohlich get info
Paul Glass get info
Daniel Gondwe get info
Denise Goodman get info
Sicelo Gumede get info
Tena Hilario-Hailey get info
Nirmala Hiremath get info
Alexandra Issaeva get info
William Johnson get info
Loretta Jones get info
Lydda Kandikole get info
Olga Koltsova get info
Rosario Leon get info
Kang-Mai Liu get info
Jonathan Lucas get info
Bonus Makanani get info
Agnes Malemia get info
Simon Morfit get info
Ernest Mosimanegape Moseki get info
Xolani Mpofu get info
Janet Mswayo get info
Wandoa Mwambu get info
Teopista Nakyanzi get info
Schola Njambi get info
Elana Parker get info
Sinazo Pato get info
Cristina Pimenta get info
Linly Seyama get info
Emilder Tazvivinga-Chihota get info
Tony Wafford get info
Steven Wakefield get info
Rhonda White get info
Thabile Zimu get info
