What's Happening

By Eddie Givens | June 22, 2021
Guest Writer, Community Member and Activist

Eddie Givens shares his reflections on the history of HIV Testing Day and the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the importance of HIV education, health equity, and ensuring accessible testing in every community.

By Wendy Kaplan, MPH | May 19, 2021
Former ATOD Program Manager, ETR

One of the projects I work on at ETR is the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC). I have the pleasure of working with organizations throughout the state of California doing their part to end tobacco-related health disparities. One of the ways we do this is through the creation of educational materials that provide information to specific audiences on a wide range of topics.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

It was a lazy Sunday, and we were watching Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. My 10-year-old, like every other kid his age, is always looking to see themselves represented in the content we consume. He turned to me and asked, “Why aren’t there that many diverse people in this Star Wars movie?”

By ETR Leadership Team | March 17, 2021

As an agency committed to advancing equity, ETR is speaking out against the increase in hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). While these recent attacks have drawn national attention, inflammatory rhetoric and disparaging or violent acts against these communities are, unfortunately, nothing new. This surge is the latest in a long and often overlooked history of racist acts inflicted on AAPI individuals, families, and businesses—ranging from subtle, pervasive microaggressions to overt verbal and physical attacks. 

By Laiah Idelson, MSPH & Stephanie Guinosso, PhD, MPH | February 2, 2021
YTH Initiative, ETR

The YTH Initiative at ETR has led the field in Youth-Centered Health Design for the past decade. We recently joined forces with our colleagues at ETR and broader communities to create Trauma-Informed Youth Centered Health Design (TIYCHD), an approach that interweaves trauma-principles into the YCHD approach. Our TIYCHD framework was designed in collaboration with experts in design, trauma and mental health, youth engagement, and public health through a community consultation with twelve participants and expert interviews with forty others.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 1, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

December 1st marks Worlds AIDS Day and this year’s theme is Resilience and Impact. In ETR’s nearly 40-year history addressing HIV/AIDS, we have been committed partners in the fight to end the epidemic. We have witnessed the resilience of people living with HIV as well as the impact of the work to end HIV — particularly the work that centers the voices of communities most impacted.

By Calvin Hedrick, MA | November 30, 2020
TCCC Project Coordinator, ETR

Each November marks the annual Native American Heritage Month — celebrating rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories as well as acknowledging the important contributions of Native people. In honor of this year's Native American Heritage Month, Calvin Hedrick shares a few of his recommendations for significant pieces of contemporary culture and art from Native artists and creatives.

By Tatyana Moaton, MBA-HRM | November 20, 2020
Consultant/Subject Matter Expert, ETR

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is recognized each year on November 20th. This year, Tatyana Moaton shares her reflections on the purpose of TDOR and the critical importance of uplifting trans voices, leadership, and communities.

By Jill Denner, PhD | October 20, 2020
Senior Research Scientist II, ETR

I am often asked how my work in STEM education fits at an organization that focuses on health education and health equity. This blog post is my attempt to answer that question. I believe that it is at the intersection of STEM and Health education that we will find creative solutions to the social injustice and COVID-19-related problems we are facing right now.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | October 7, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

October is one of my favorite months—it brings us Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Halloween and all things spooky, my favorite season—Fall (boots weather!), and LGBTQ+ History month!

By The ETR Team | June 2, 2020

Our hearts are heavy as we have watched these recent tragic events unfold. The violent, senseless, preventable deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade are an all too familiar reminder of the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation.

By ETR | May 31, 2019
 

We are all members of a global society. We are excited that ETR’s recent merger with YTH brings a deeper and more experienced global perspective to our organization’s work. YTH has a long history of international work with youth communities. The YTH Initiative presence at the upcoming Women Deliver conference demonstrates this beautifully.

By Amy Peterson, MSc | April 25, 2019
Strategic Development Manager, ETR

Educational equity is closely related to health equity. In fact I’d like to suggest that they are essentially inseparable—that educational equity isn’t merely an element of health equity, but that the two are inextricably linked. Put simply, one cannot exist without the other.

In 2014, I was among a group of colleagues who sought out a framework that would help us unify the work we were doing across ETR’s projects. We found that no existing framework covered all the aspects of our work so we adapted, developed and iterated to create ETR’s Health Equity Framework (HEF). 

By Bo James Hwang | February 19, 2019
Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Student, UCLA Extension

The All of Us Research Program, a project of the National Institutes of Health, aims to gather health data from one million people living in the United States. I was chosen to participate in one of the University of California, San Francisco’s research feedback sessions for the initiative.

Many of the trans and non-binary people participating in the feedback session discussed their personal experiences with medical providers and researchers. Many brought up the mistrust that trans people have for researchers. 

By Elizabeth McDade-Montez, PhD, and Rebecca A. Dore, PhD  | November 13, 2018
Senior Research Associate, ETR (EM) and Senior Research Associate, The Ohio State University (RAD)

Harry Potter is the best-selling book series of all time. The books and their derivatives have made author J.K. Rowling the world’s first billionaire author. The novels and subsequent movies are certainly engaging and entertaining. Indeed, entertainment is the primary goal of most media and works of fiction.

But how we engage with fiction and media is a serious area of study for researchers in fields as diverse as psychology, education, literary studies, philosophy and communications. 

By Michael E. Bird (Kewa Pueblo/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo)  | November 8, 2018
National Consultant on Native American/Alaskan Native Communities, AARP

A lot of good people are working on issues of equity and social justice. I’m happy to see that, and I’m grateful for the work. If you are one of them, I also have a challenge for you—one that probably won’t be comfortable. I’m asking you to do three things.

By Louise Ann Lyon, PhD | October 9, 2018
Senior Research Associate, ETR

The mainstream culture in the U.S. values independence. As a nation, we esteem individual actions and view them as paths to success. “Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is an admirable trait.

However, that focus is not the full picture. 

By Suzanne Schrag | August 31, 2018
Editor/Product Manager, ETR

JJ is 11 years old and on the way to school. JJ usually stops at the bodega to buy a candy bar for a snack. But today is different. This week JJ is learning in school about increasing your heart rate through physical activity to stay healthy. So, instead of stopping at the bodega, JJ runs around the block three times. JJ shows up to school a little sweaty but excited and energized.