Committees
CEED@Chicago has a number of committees which are open to the public to join. Coalition members are encouraged to join committees that match their interest and experience and help guide CEED@Chicago. Committee meetings are usually held every six weeks. The work of the committees is driven by the CEED@Chicago Coalition which meets on a quarterly basis to discuss ongoing work across all committees. The Coalition meetings offer all coalition members an opportunity to learn about the work being done in different committees and offer feedback and insight even if they are not involved in the day to day work of the committee.
Currently CEED@Chicago has two new committees that are focused on policy change. These two committees were born out of the Coalition's desire to focus on two policy areas; Health Literacy and Equity in Food Distribution. These committees are comprised of Coalition members with an interest in these two topics and the issues that surround them. Please check back further for updates on these committees.
- Food Equity Policy Committee
- Health Literacy/Community Health Workers Policy Committee
- Community Engagement Committee
- Evaluation Committee
- Public Relations Committee
- Training & Technical Assistance Committee
For more information, email Shelia R. Castillo, CEED Program Manager at srcastil@uic.edu .
The Food Equity Policy Committee identified two foci for policy change: promoting the location production and distribution of healthy food and improving the data available to policy makers and researchers about the type of food available in communities. Both foci were presented to the CEED@Chicago Coalition in May 2009 and affirmed. Currently, the committee is coordinating the efforts of several organizations that are planning a tour of urban agriculture sites in Chicago for elected officials and policy level administrators. The purpose of the tour is to demonstrate to these officials that urban agriculture will prosper in their communities and that the expertise is available to help them. The committee is also gathering information on data collection in Chicago and the metropolitan area.
Sheila R. Castillo is the convener of the Food Equity Policy Committee. She may be reached at srcastil@uic.edu.
Health Literacy/Community Health Workers Policy Committee
The CEED@Chicago Coalition identified increasing health literacy as one of our policy priority areas. In addition, the Coalition said it should be delivered in the community by peer educators. This is the reason CEED@Chicago is looking for strategies to support community health workers (CHWs).
The Health Literacy/Community Health Workers Policy Committee has identified increasing and improving training of community health workers on healthy eating and physical activity as its main focus. At a recent meeting of organizations that train CHWs, it was evident that training in these two topics would be very helpful. It was also clear that the many groups present want to work together to improve training in not just these two topics, but in many others. CEED@Chicago will provide support to this group as it defines its agenda and moves forward with its work.
Amparo Castillo is the Health Literacy/Community Health Workers Policy Committee Coordinator and committee convener. She may be reached at amparo@uic.edu.
The Community Engagement Committee
The CEED Community Engagement Committee shares the work of CEED@Chicago with prospective Coalition member organizations. The committee seeks to connect the needs of organizations with the work of CEED@Chicago in order to insure that the partnership is mutually beneficial and serves the goal of eliminating health disparities.
Charles Williams is the Community Engagement Coordinator and committee convener. He may be reached at: cwilli54@uic.edu .
Using a multi-method approach, the Evaluation Committee will document the process, quality, and long-term impact of CEED@Chicago and disseminate its finding in formats appropriate to and useable by multiple audiences. The evaluation will include both formative activities that may result in program refinements and summative strategies that will document achievements and impact.
Dr. Cynthia Boyd is the convener for this committee. She may be reached by contacting Beverly E. Washington at: bwash@uic.edu .
The Public Relations Committee
The Public Relations Committee works in collaboration with other CEED@Chicago committees to inform various audiences about its goals and activities. Particular emphasis is placed on creating communication tools for improving collaboration and partnership among Coalition members. The Public Relations Committee also promotes CEED@Chicago activities and events to various media outlets.
Carlos Sanchez convenes this committee. He may be reached at carsan@uic.edu .
The Training & Technical Assistance Committee
The Training & Technical Assistance Committee serves several important functions. It provides training and education to coalition members to enhance their internal capacity. Health education, leadership development, partnership and coalition building, systems change and program evaluations are some of the training topics available to CEED@Chicago Coalition members.
This committee has established Best Practices in Public Health, a series of workshops that promote Coalition partners' strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing a public health need. The CEED@Chicago Grassroots Community Health Leadership Program is a series of workshops designed to promote and build capacity in Chicago area community organizations to address the social determinants of health related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease in vulnerable populations.
Amparo Castillo is the convener for this committee. She may be reached at amparo@uic.edu .
Click here to reach the Training & Technical Assistance webpage.