Centering community voices to shape meaningful and lasting change

About Community Engagement

Effective public health solutions are built with communities, not for them. The Community Engagement section provides practical tools, training materials, and participatory approaches that help organizations build trust, elevate lived experience, and partner authentically with residents.

Whether you are forming a Community Advisory Board, launching a youth-led project, conducting listening sessions, or strengthening partnerships, this section offers resources to support inclusive, equity-centered community engagement.

Explore the Resource Library:

Access tools and resources to strengthen partnerships, share power, and ensure community voices shape programs, policies, and systems change.

What You’ll Find in the Library

  • Community engagement planning tools
  • Community Advisory Board resources
  • Youth leadership and participatory research toolkits
  • Photovoice and storytelling curricula
  • Family engagement resources
  • Tribal engagement tools and case studies
  • Facilitation guides and training materials
  • Community assessment and action-planning tools
  • Partnership development resources
  • Health equity and justice frameworks

View the resource library

Resource Library

Browse Community Engagement resources by topic area below.

Community Engagement Toolkit

The Community Engagement Toolkit: A Participatory Action Approach Toward Health Equity and Justice provides practical guidance, activities, and tools that help organizations build authentic partnerships and move from consultation to empowerment.

Resource Download / View
Community Engagement Toolkit: A Participatory Action Approach Toward Health Equity and Justice Download Toolkit

Community Advisory Boards (CABs)

Community Advisory Boards help organizations engage residents as trusted partners in planning, implementation, and decision-making.

Resources support recruitment, member engagement, facilitation, shared leadership, orientation, communication strategies, and community-informed program planning. The Indiana SNAP-Ed CAB resources provide practical tools for recruiting board members, onboarding participants, facilitating engagement, and incorporating lived experience into statewide nutrition and physical activity initiatives.

Resource Download / View
Indiana SNAP-Ed CAB Recruitment Guide View Resources
Indiana Orientation Session Download Session

 

Partnership Development & Community Engagement

Case studies, lessons learned, and practical examples that demonstrate how organizations can strengthen partnerships, elevate community voice, and build authentic community engagement strategies.

Resource Download / View
Amplifying Community Voices to Enhance SNAP-Ed Programming in Georgia View Resource
We’re All in This Together: Strengthening Community Engagement Strategies Through a Collaborative Technical Assistance Model Download Resource

Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) & Family Engagement

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) empowers young people to identify issues affecting their communities, conduct research, share lived experiences, and advocate for solutions.

These resources support youth leadership, storytelling, family engagement, and community-driven change efforts.

Resource Download / View
Inspiring Youth, Growing Change Download PDF
Snapshots & Stories: My Voice, My Community Download PDF
Parents in Action! Toolkit Download Toolkit

Tribal Engagement & Traditional Foods

This collection includes culturally responsive tools, traditional foods education materials, Native plant resources, and partnership-building materials that support meaningful collaboration with tribal communities and promote culturally grounded nutrition education.

Resources highlight strengths-based approaches that connect youth, families, and communities to cultural knowledge, food sovereignty, traditional foods, wellness practices, and community leadership.

 

Partnership & Community Engagement Resources

Resource Download / View
Best Practices for Partnering with Native Communities Download PDF
CIMCC Community Partnership Case Study Download Case Study

 

Traditional Foods & Cultural Nutrition Resources

Resource Download / View
Accessible Traditional Foods View Collection
My California Native Plate View Resources
California Indian Traditional Drinks Guide Download Guide
Traditional Foods & Grocery Equivalents View Resources
California Native Traditional Foods Plant ID Guide Download Guide
California Native Traditional Foods Plant ID Cards Download Cards
Native Uses of Native Plants Download Guide
Culturally Adapted Digital Recipe Cards Download Cards

Evidence in Action

These resources demonstrate how authentic community engagement can lead to:

  • Youth-led advocacy and leadership development
  • Stronger community partnerships
  • Culturally responsive and community-informed programs
  • Increased resident participation in planning and decision-making
  • Community-informed policy and systems change
  • Sustainable and equitable health outcomes.