“Health Equity Champions are leaders and innovators. They see issues due to inequity and try to make a difference.” – Dr. Broomfield-Massey
For two days, the National WIC Association’s Health Equity Champions (HECs) met in Chicago, Illinois, for a two-day training aimed at advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within their roles, responsibilities, and professional organizations. Through workshops and activities, they learned how to support LGBTQ+ families and how to find, write, and manage grants.
“One piece of advice I have for Health Equity Champions is to do your own research, including asking questions to the people around you, ‘googling’, reading books, etc. Keep learning outside of workshops/trainings. Stay curious.” – Jules Estacio
The first session, facilitated by Jules Estacio, focused on LGBTQ+ identities and working with LGBTQ+ participants. With almost half a decade of queer adult education, Jules led discussions and educated HECs on several key topics affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
A standout moment was when an HEC asked Jules about the health disparities specific to transgender and bisexual people within the larger LGBTQ+ community. Jules answered honestly, saying they did not know the exact answer. This was an instant lesson, showing that research and data are not always readily available, especially when it comes to the inequity of minoritized populations.
“You may not always know the right answer, and that is okay,” Jules said. “Making mistakes is also a part of the learning process, and what matters most is how you respond when a mistake happens, especially those that relate to personal identities.”
In a post-program survey, all respondents rated Jules’ session very highly, with several HECs leaving the session with increased confidence in understanding the significance and meaning of pronouns and integrating more inclusive practices into their personal and professional lives.
“After this workshop, I feel like I am better able and more comfortable to support staff that identify as LGBTQ… I also want to make sure I continue to speak up for them to others that may not consider their feelings.” – Sonia Gamble, 2023 Health Equity Champion
Dr. Kimberley Broomfield-Massey, an experienced evaluator and researcher, and Ms. Calondra Tibbs, MPH, a reformed epidemiologist with over 20 years of experience working with public health agencies, co-facilitated a session on grant writing. The session’s two parts, Foundations of Equity-Focused Grant Writing and Foundation of Evaluating an Equity-focused Grant Project, aimed to give the HECs an understanding of the grant process and proposal development. Both facilitators approached their sessions with the belief that HECs are setting new standards for family support and engagement, regardless of diversity or background.
Dr. Kimberley Broomfield-Massey noted that grant writing is often seen in a negative light. However, everyone needs funding to continue their work, and grant writing doesn’t have to be a solo project. In fact, you shouldn’t do it alone! This message deeply resonated with the Health Equity Champions, as evidenced in the post-program evaluation. Many participants shared strategies for collaboration with local agencies and community organizations when seeking grants. They also emphasized the importance of utilizing logic models to visually represent projects and assist with evaluation planning. Tibbs encouraged all HECs to continue sharing their work, celebrating their successes, and talking about the changes they’re making to improve health equity and community building.
“One final piece of advice that I have for HECs is that they should continue to lead – whether it’s from the front or the back. Always continue to lead.” – Calondra Tibbs, MPH
Calondra Tibbs, MPH, is Trifecta Advising, LLC’s CEO and Nonprofit Strategist. Ms. Tibbs has over 20 years of experience working with national nonprofits and local, state, and federal government public health agencies. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated public health programs in maternal and child health, environmental health, and chronic diseases. As a reformed epidemiologist, Ms. Tibbs has been responsible not only for leading public health responses to community and state-level crises but has also played a critical role in data collection and evaluation, engaging community stakeholders to address public health priorities collectively, and leading strategic plans to improve the overall health of the community.
Kimberley Broomfield-Massey, Ph.D., is an experienced evaluator and researcher specializing in participatory methods, quantitative and qualitative research, and facilitation. Her experience involves partnering with local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations, such as the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), and Usher’s New Look. She is passionate about youth development, maternal and child health, and organizational development and strives to empower BIPOC populations to promote health equity.
Jules Estacio is a queer, mixed Filipinx tender spoonie artist born and raised in unceded Duwamish land (Seattle, WA), currently residing in Cowlitz/Multnomah land (North Portland). As a queer historian and artist, they believe everyone is an artist and art should “make the revolution irresistible.” They are passionate about building intentional relationships based on trust and a shared vision of a liberated future “where queerness and transness are not just accepted but celebrated much like it was before colonization.” Their special interests include queer history and any history of marginalized people resisting oppression.