Locations of Community Forums Held October 12, 2007

Illinois   Iowa   Michigan   Minnesota   Missouri

About the Community Genomics Forums:

Genomics, Community and Equity: A Continuing Dialogue

Since completing the Human Genome Project, governmental agencies, academic and community partners have focused on how to engage communities in a dialogue about issues in genetics and genomics. In 2004, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) began funding community engagement projects in different regions of the country. This project is the third in this series, focusing on the 10 state Midwest Region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin). 

As part of this project, forums were held in 5 of the 10 states in the region (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri) simultaneously and combined general topics as well as topics specific to the host states and their surrounding areas. Video conferencing was used to connect the forums while they were occurring. The NCC of that state hosted that state's community forum and was responsible for recognizing issues specific to the areas that they serve. The goal of each forum was to engage at least 80 people (a total of 400 people, including all five forums) and encourage participants to go online and continue the dialogue.

Approximately 450 people, most of whom were grassroots community members, attended the 5 state forums on October 12, 2007 in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri and interacted with leading scientists, healthcare professionals, and religious leaders.  The participants represented an incredibly diverse group of traditions, cultures, SES levels, and occupations.  The level of engagement varied by site as did the strategies, techniques, and timing utilized by the host community-based organizations to foster engagement among their communities.

This project is a partnership between the Center for Public Health and Community Genomics (CPHCG) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the National Community Committee (NCC) of the CDC-funded Prevention Research Centers.