The College of Education’s new Program Evaluation and Research Lab (PEARL) has been selected to support the project evaluation of a three-year, $1.5 million grant awarded to the “Promise Partnership” program in the Treasure Valley. Lindsey Turner, research associate professor, and director of the College’s Initiative for Healthy Schools, will serve as the external evaluator for the project and will also be a part of the planning team to help develop the action plans.
The Treasure Valley was selected as one of six communities in the country funded by Trinity Health through their “Transforming Communities Initiative.” Trinity Health is the parent organization for Saint Alphonsus Health System, which is a key collaborating organization in Promise Partnerships.
The Promise Partnership is a collaborative effort being led by United Way of Treasure Valley and, in addition to Saint Alphonsus, also includes many partner organizations, cities, and school districts. An important element of the partnership efforts will be to improve the well-being and educational outcomes of residents of the Treasure Valley, particularly focusing on economically-challenged local communities and cities.
The funding from Trinity Health will focus on Policy, Systems, and Environment (PSE) approaches to address the two top preventable causes of disease in the United States: 1) tobacco use and 2) obesity. PSE approaches focus on implementing health-promoting policies and practices in the settings where people live, work, learn, and play. Collaborations with schools, childcare settings, and workplaces will be an essential feature of this project.