The Global Learning for Health Equity Network Team had 2nd convening at Navajo nation on April 1st to 3rd. The convening provided a platform for global learning team to come together, share their resources and experiences, and strengthen the field of global learning to advance health equity. Convening at Navajo Nation was a very unique and special learning for all. The team met with community partners in health equity. Throughout the trip, the team was amused to witness strong partnership building with global countries and how they continued to share the works both ways with Navajo and global partners. 

Some of the quotes from the participants of the trip include:

"It struck me that the struggles we have in our community was found in Navajo as well from access to healthy food options, travel access to get to food."

"It was impressive to learn how they work very hard to engage mothers/parents to play a part in the education system even as they help each other with the care of each other's children."

"A small gaze into the darkness of Navajo life that shares light of their struggle to regain the balance of culture and healing of the very earth beneath their feet."

"One of my big takeaways was getting to experience a first-hand example for how to plan our own global learning trip."

"The trip to the Navajo Nation was an eye opener. It was my first time being on reservation and to see the health disparity and injustice that our brothers and sisters are going through is disheartening. We need to continue to do visit like these in different communities.

"To find that tribal communities to this day have to receive federal permission for establishing their own schools and clinics was disturbing. It was another reminder that structural racism is not something relegated to the past, but something that needs to be continually challenged in our present."

Day 1 Welcome Dinner- Sonya Shin, MD, MPH and Carmen George with members MEDICC Community Partnerships Health Equity (CHPE)

Day 2 Introduction to CHPE partners- exploring global health projects of Navajo to learn global health elements from the lens of international and indigenous partners engaged in global learning and to deepen understanding of community connections in Navajo Nation

• Teec Nos Pos Trading Post by John McCulloch 
• Four Corners Regional Health Center by Darlene Begay, JoAnn Lameman, John Hosteen, Regina Morgan, Rose Todacheenie, Sue Nicholls 
• Teec Nos Pos Community School by Eva Bennet, Kerlissa Bitah
• ACLU Utah Branch by Malyssa Egge

Day 3 Global Learning for Health Equity Network Team Workshop- advancing global learning network and knowledge by sharing learning across projects, identifying resources and tools for success to strengthen community and international partnerships.

• Welcome by Carmen George
• Imagining the Future of Global Learning by Karabi Acharya
• Presentation by each grantee on progress to date 
• Round Table Topics with Global Learning Mentors
  • Strengthening Community Connections by Janette North-Kabore, MPH
  • Developing Partnerships by Virginia Rowthorn, JD,LLM
  • Sustainability Planning by Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN

Greet and Meet with Family Circle Kin Dah Łichí’í ‘Olta’ (KDLA) Face Program- learning about an integrated model of a childhood/parental involvement program for the families of Navajo Nation 

The School of Nursing and the Center for Global Engagement of the University of Maryland hosted the very first convening on  September 27th-28th, 2023. The convening brought together the seven grantees and the leadership team of the Global Learning for Health Equity Network and the grantees shared health issues faced by the vulnerable populations of their communities while the team leaders shared fundamental ideas of global learning and its framework. 

Day 1  Welcome and Introduction - Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, Bill and Joanne Conway Dean, University of Maryland School of Nursing. History of Global Learning by  Virginia Rowthorn, JD, LLM, a vice president for Global Engagement and associate professor of University of Maryland Baltimore, (UMB) Graduate School

A Bus Tour of Baltimore Communities -Cultivating a new vision of Baltimore through a walking and bus tour, listening to key community leaders and their partnerships, learning about key history lessons and modern day Baltimore including its culture and characters by  Lori Edwards, DrPH, MPH, BSN, RN, PCH-CNS, BC, an associate dean of Master of Science in Nursing Program of UMB

Day 2 Welcome- Roger Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, a provost and executive vice president of the UMB

Welcome to Global Learning- Shilpa Shankar, a program associate and equity lead at  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Session 1: Presentation of the Global Learning Pilot Projects 

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Session 2: Global Learning Framework

• Impact and Health Equity by Sonya Shin, MD, MPH and Carmen George
• Exploring Global Ideas by Alex Plum, MPH
• Community Engagement by Ruth Dudding, CHES, CHW
• Bidirectional Learning by Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, 
• Adapting and Implementing Global Ideas by Lucy Slater, MPH
• Measure and Implementation Science by Kevin Fiori, MD, MPH, MS

Session 3: Legal Aspects and Reflection

• MOUs in Global Learning: Importance of Equity by Virginia Rowthorn, JD, LLM
• Group Reflections by Stephen Thomas PhD
• Take Aways and Next Steps