Leveraging academic and community resources to build effective partnerships

Community partnerships are essential for planning, implementing and evaluating community based programs. However, no fixed blueprint exists regarding the steps needed to build, maintain and mend these vital relationships. This paper describes a decade long relationship between a school of nursing and a major health center in northeastern Pennsylvania. This relationship has strengthened innovative educational approaches to introduce both undergraduate and graduate nursing students to underserved, vulnerable populations during the traditional academic semesters. Within the last five years, this partnership has evolved to include a summer interdisciplinary internship opportunity for students. After introducing one partnership as an exemplar, this session utilizes Appreciative Inquiry to engage participants in discussing how best to leverage their own community's resources to build effective partnerships. The discussion will highlight challenges and opportunities that such partnerships present, such as strategies to mend bonds when necessary, how to celebrate shared successes, and how best to pool resources across institutions.