Profs. Augsberger & Sprague Martinez Land Funding for Youth-Led Health Promotion Project with BU School of Medicine

BU’s Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has awarded a research grant to professors Astraea Augsberger (BUSSW), Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett (BU School of Medicine) and Linda Sprague Martinez (BUSSW) for their project, “Data-Driven, Youth-Led Health Promotion Strategy for a Safety Net Accountable Care Organization.”

The aim of the project, devised within a “participatory action research” framework, is to develop and vet a health promotion campaign guided by a youth advisory board of six to eight young people of color. Informed by trainings on health equity, health promotion practice, and data-driven planning, the youth advisory board will conduct an assessment of local health centers that will lay the foundation for a health promotion campaign elevating the voices and knowledge of the project’s young leaders.

Astraea Augsberger, an assistant professor at BU School of Social Work, is a specialist in youth engagement, child welfare and community engaged research. Her research focuses on elevating the voices of youth in identifying priorities and solutions to community concerns.

Linda Sprague Martinez is an associate professor and chair of Macro Practice at BUSSW. Her research focuses on how community assets can be recognized and leveraged to improve living environments and health.

Dr. Barnett is an assistant professor at BU School of Medicine and is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation & Transformation and the program director for the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC).

The project is funded by CTSI through its Integrated Pilot Grant Award Program, which supports BU researchers addressing challenges in translational science.