Central Connecticut State University has announced that at $100,000 Community Health Foundation grant will allow it to work with YWCA New Britain to, “ensure more young people have representation in community health policy.”
CCSU says that the grant, “will fund the development of a Community Health Worker (CHW) course at Central and subsequent outreach and engagement with policymakers and legislators with support from Central’s Center for Community Engagement and Social Research (CCESR).”
CCSU says that,
The CHW program at Central will build upon coursework from the YWCA’s Community Health Worker Training Academy, which gives young women from marginalized communities pathways to careers as community health workers and other public health and STEM professions. The course will be open to Central students and qualifying New Britain High School students.
CCSU President Zulma R. Toro said that,
As a public university it is incumbent upon us to leverage our knowledge and resources on behalf of and in partnership with the communities we serve. This project will deepen our ties within greater New Britain and expand local health services. It also will encourage a new generation of health care professionals and prepare them for the realities and needs of our communities.
If the program is approved, CCSU is to, “offer the CHW course as a six-credit special topics course that will cover the skills and competencies essential for community health workers as defined by the American Public Health Association.” CCSU says that the long-term plans for the program include apprenticeships at the University’s new Community Health Education Clinic that, “provides free health care services to members of the university community and residents of Greater New Britain.”
Dr. Beth Merenstein, executive director of the Center for Community Engagement and Social Research says that,
We are very excited to be partnering with the New Britain YWCA on the Community Health Worker grant project. By certifying Central students as community health workers, providing dual enrollment for New Britain high school students, and offering it as a certificate for adult learners, Central will be aligning educational programs with in-demand career pathways.
CCSU currently plans for the first class under the program to begin in 2025.
