Our Approach
Designing interactive programs that connect many community organizations takes time, strategy, and an understanding of public health and educational theories. Three theories are the foundation of how we create programs and partnerships with organizations: Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Community Coalition Action Theory.
Health Belief Model
The Health Belief Model believes that people are more likely to make healthy choices if they think a health threat risks their well-being. If they learn an action that would prevent this threat, they will choose this action to benefit their health.
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How we use it:
The programs focus on presenting facts to audiences. If they know they are at risk (susceptibility), they can predict an issue (severity), avoid the issue (action), and ultimately protect themselves (benefit).
Social Cognitive Theory
The Social Cognitive Theory is a theory where people learn from observing the actions of others. It says our behavior is shaped by what we see, how we think, and our environment.
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How we use it:
We want to make sure that all our programming has four components from the Social Cognitive Theory. We want to teach them the possible results of their actions (outcome expectations). We create interactive activities so they can copy and practice appropriate actions (observational learning) and know that they are capable of solving an issue (self-efficacy). Then, with our trained staff and community partners, we want to make sure each person feels comfortable and uplifted (social support).
Community Coalition Action Theory
Community Coalition Action Theory implements community-based interventions, particularly for addressing health issues. It focuses on the importance of partnerships, community context, and building alliances that can effectively address complex problems.
How we use it:
​This theory goes beyond programming. It encompasses building healthy partnerships to ultimately improve community health. We collaborate with other organization that share similar goals to support our programs. This collaboration builds the community's capacity to impact their health. Lastly, these organizations are mostly in the same neighborhoods of the audience, so that there is more community engagement from surrounding organizations.​
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