Our Voice: Citizen Science for Health Equity with CFHL, UC

Our Voice Logo

Our Voice: Citizen Science for Health Equity is an initiative of Stanford University School of Medicine in which community members are empowered to activate change in order to support healthier communities. 

Imperial County
Older adults in Imperial County explored access to physical activity and fresh fruits and vegetables around their community.
  • CFHL, UC Our Voice projects are supported through a collaboration with the Our Voice Citizen Science Research Initiative at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
  • These projects support community members in gathering, analyzing, and using their own data to help make their communities healthier for all (i.e., to advance health equity).
  • The gateway to the Our Voice process is an easy-to-use, multilingual mobile app called the Discovery Tool, which allows users to take geotagged photos and add comments and ratings that reflect their lived experience – and their expertise – in the community.
  • Our Voice projects around the world have been shown to increase social cohesion, self and collective efficacy, and community engagement in building healthy communities. They have also informed - and sparked - changes in physical and social environments that give all community members better access to living healthy and vital lives.

By utilizing Stanford University’s Our Voice approach, CFHL, UCCE teams have centered voices of CalFresh-eligible adult, youth, and multigenerational groups of community members in assessing access to physical activity and access to fresh fruits and vegetables. In support of health equity, the community leads the direction for change to improve and support their health.

The photos and descriptions below provide examples from the field of CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Our Voice projects.

street signs
Adults in Placerville, El Dorado County identified a need for speed limit signage as their community walking path traverses a parking lot. The citizen scientists’ presentation led to the site’s insurance company funding and installing signage.
streets
In Kern County (left) and South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County (right), parents and adults determined lack of sidewalks a barrier to being physically active, both in walking to and from school (Kern County) and walking for exercise in the community (South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County).