Engaging the Communityand#151;Sharing the Knowledge Symposium, April 28

On April 28, university researchers and community members from an innovative project that aims to improve the health of children and youth in six rural communities will meet at UPEI to share the results of their work. For the past three years, they have been taking part in a research program entitled "Engaging the Community: Knowledge Translation as Transformation in the Lives and Children and Youth in Rural Prince Edward Island."

The six communities taking part are Souris, Montague, Rustico, Kensington, Lennox Island and O'Leary. The symposium is an exciting opportunity for the participants to share their experiences in the project. People from government and other agencies who are stakeholders in the issues being addressed will also take part.

Knowledge translation is the sharing of knowledge with decision-makers and program planners. Several steps are involved: collaboration with community members, information gathering, sharing research on issues raised by the community, and the development of initiatives to address issues important to the community. Essential to Engaging the Community has been the active involvement of parents, youth, and service providers.

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Engaging the Community project is led by Dr. Vianne Timmons and involves members of the UPEI Children's Health Applied Research Team (CHART): Barb Campbell, Dr. Kimberley Critchley, Dr. Alexander McAuley, Dr. Jennifer Taylor and Dr. Fiona Walton.

For more information about the Engaging the Community project, visit campus.upei.ca/engaging or call Jane MacDonald, Research Coordinator at 566-6009, jmacdonald@upei.ca.