CRONICAS Public Health & Communication Training Programme for multiplicadores jóvenes (360G-Wellcome-093541_Z_10_Z)

Our engagement project proposes to train a cohort of multiplicadores jóvenes in communication and public health research. We envisage the cohort will become integrated within the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence for Chronic Diseases and take an active role in designing communication strategies to help the Centre translate its research to the public. The CRONICAS multiplicadores jóvenes training begins with a series of intensive participatory training sessions, aimed at introducing young people to communication within a public health context. Twelve teams of 3 students (aged 16-17 years) will be selected from a diverse range of secondary schools in Lima. Three parallel training sessions will be run weekly for 7 consecutive weeks; three groups of four schools (12 students) will participate in each session. Teams will work together with local experts in communication to learn about communication strategies. Throughout the training sessions multiplicadores jóvenes will also have the opportunity to learn about public health issues relevant in Peru through a series of interactive sessions with local public health researchers. During the sessions, student teams will be provided with guidance and support to design a short-term communication campaign about healthy lifestyles directed at their peers. A dedicated full-time communicator will be available throughout the year to mentor, and support the student teams while they design and execute their campaigns. Subsequently, the cohort of multiplicadores jóvenes will return to CRONICAS Centre of Excellence for Chronic Diseases three times during the school year to share the outputs of their campaigns. These sessions will also serve as an opportunity to integrate the cohort as a youth advisory board for the CRONICAS Centre. We believe this partnership will increase the Centre's effectiveness and more importantly inform, educate and empower a cohort of multiplicadores jóvenes to become more actively involved in their communities.