Our Mission is to improve the health of infants, children, adolescents, parents and families in the context of their communities. In response to the national priority to decrease health disparities, the Center focuses its work on enhancing the health of underserved groups in urban and rural areas. Center members develop and disseminate evidence-based interventions and best practices in primary and secondary prevention.

This work is:

• Nurse-led and interdisciplinary
  We develop research in partnership with nursing, public health, public policy, psychology, sociology, and medical professionals.
• Ecological
  We examine issues in the context of family, community, culture and physical environment.
• Community-based
  We work in the community, conducting research with communities to identify health needs. This allows us to design and use interventions that fit specific individuals or communities in the complexity of their actual environments.
• Prevention- and promotion-oriented
  We take both prevention and promotion perspectives. We build on the strengths of individuals, families and communities to optimize health.
• Collegial
  The center fosters synergy. With our collective expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods, we create new approaches to complex problems.

Funding
Over the past five years, faculty members have been awarded over $8 million for health promotion-related research and educational projects. Doctoral student members have been funded by fellowships and national pre-doctoral awards.