In 1994, community and behavioral psychologists at the University of Kansas had a vision to increase people's well-being: Teach them to help themselves and their own communities by ensuring free, open access to community-building tools.
That idea sparked what has now become the comprehensive, 7,000-page Community Tool Box (CTB) websiteopens in new window, which offers a wealth of free resources and guidance on how to tackle community problems such as poor nutrition, poverty, disease and violence. To ensure greater access, the CTB is now available in English, Spanish and Arabic, with prospects for additional languages.
"Each learning module in the CTB, such as how to conduct an assessment or plan for sustainability, is grounded in principles of psychology and behavioral science: clear descriptions of tasks, examples and checklists," says Stephen Fawcett, PhD, professor in the department of applied behavioral science as well as co-founder of the Community Tool Box and co-director of its host organization, the Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas. "The core idea is to provide free access to tools for community building — for people we will never meet, in places we could never be," Fawcett added.
The toolbox's strength is that no one has to fear working in isolation, explains Christina Holt, director of CTB services at the work group. Holt adds that the CTB also helps community leaders learn from others' experiences. "The skills to assess, plan, evaluate and sustain efforts can be applied to a variety of issues."
Among the groups that have relied on CTB's guidance is Healthy People 2020, the federal project tasked with improving health outcomes for all U.S. citizens. Healthy People used CTB's resources to prepare its employees and volunteers to mobilize, assess, plan, implement and track local, state and national health-care projects.
"It is a win/win situation because partners don't have to recreate the wheel," Holt says. "And we get these resources into the hands of the people who can use them."
Those free resources include more than 300 self-contained, interactive "how-to" modules. In addition, there are 16 evidence-based toolkits to help people create partnerships, assess community needs and resources, build leadership and increase participation. The CTB resources also offer guidance on advocating for change, grant writing and influencing policy development. The toolkits offer outlines, examples and even PowerPoint presentations that can be personalized to fit user needs.
These materials are supplemented by interactive training curricula (some at a cost), access to volunteer advisors for more personal attention and even a troubleshooting guide with, for example, a checklist of survival skills if faced with opposition.
Five years ago, Lisa Johanon successfully tapped CTB resources when she sought to bring more healthy food choices to central Detroit. "It was easier to get a Big Mac than a banana," she recalls. With CTB's advocacy materials and other tools, Johanon started Peaches and Greens Produce Market. She was able to arrange for weekly deliveries to the neighborhood from a vegetable truck and to convince liquor stores, apartment complexes and community centers to host on-site produce stands.
The CTB has an international reach as well since its tools assist efforts not only in health, but in economic development and environment and disaster management worldwide. In Kenya's Central Province, for example, community leaders used CTB resources when 900 people were displaced after the 2008 elections. The Uhuru Child Foundation first worked to restore people's health and well-being, then helped them secure loans for business development and sustainable farming. And in northern Ghana, faculty and graduate students at the University for Development Studies are using the CTB as a textbook to teach people about addressing clean drinking water, safe food handling, and maternal and child health.
"We reach millions of people, and are giving them skills one small group at a time," says Bill Berkowitz, PhD, an original member of the CTB team who is now an emeritus professor in the graduate program in Community Social Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. "It's an honor to have the opportunity to do this work — and a great reason to get out of bed in the morning."
Diane Russell Girardot is a freelance writer and a counselor in private practice in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.