Who are the Life Scholars?

Life Scholars are community members engaged as COVID-19 public health outreach workers in Chicago neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19, who after two years of gaining public health knowledge and skills, have enrolled in UIC degree programs to advance their leadership careers. The Life Scholars program is an outgrowth of the Community Health Response Corps, a community-based COVID-19 effort co-led by the School of Public Health Collaboratory for Health Justice and the Chicago Department of Public Health- designed to reduce secondary transmission of COVID-19 while building the capacity of Community-based Organization and community members to be a part of the hyperlocal public health system.

These adult learners who are predominately Black and Latinx were experiencing challenges to employment and career pathways at the time that they were hired as outreach workers. As part of this work, the UIC School of Public Health has been investing in pathways to higher education for community members who have experienced disrupted higher education experiences due to financial and/or social challenges.

Pictured left to right: Terry Dudley, Caesar Thompson, Kasmrinh Faulkner, Nicole Li, Leticia Diaz-Leon, Marcia Burgess, Jennifer Clemons, and Rashida Balogun.

What is Photovoice? Heading link

Photovoice is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodology that uses photography, group discussions, and storytelling to empower research participants to enable social and policy change. A camera is used as a data-collecting tool to capture the research participant’s lived experiences. Through group discussions and analysis of these photos- substance, meaning, and narratives are derived. These photos and narratives are showcased at a capstone exhibition for community members and policy-makers to learn and engage in discussion

The Life Scholars as Co-reasearchers Heading link

Below is a list of our Life Scholar co-researchers and their respective colleges:

  • Terry Dudley | College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
  • Brayden Cantzler |  College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
  • Jennifer Clemons | College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
  • Marcia Burgess | College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
  • Caesar Thompson | School of Public Health
  • Leticia Diaz-Leon | School of Public Health
  • Nicole Li | School of Public Health
  • Kasmrinh Faulkner | School of Public Health
  • Rashida Balogun | School of Public Health