Community Involvement
HBCU Collaborative Network
Mission
The Historically Black Colleges & University (HBCU) / Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Network exists to provide a space for professionals to develop substance prevention strategies aimed to reduce health disparities and achieve health equity for all students.
Objectives
This Working Group serves an important function in leveraging the collective expertise of all those involved, for the development of initiatives to reduce health disparities on HBCU campuses. By sharing ideas, better understanding perspectives, guiding and contributing to solutions, and co-creating trusted relationships, the objective is that WG participants expand their impact for their respective campus, as well as the collective network of HBCU campuses in North Carolina.
History
The Network was first idealized in the Fall of 2019 under the leadership of the Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC). The vision was to bring together prevention leaders in the collegiate space who has a special interest in addressing the health equity issues for students of color. Under the leadership of APNC, the Network established a strong enough foundation to be able to apply for state funding. In 2021, under the leadership of RIZE , the Network applied for its first grant opportunity and was awarded funding to support the development of an internship program as three schools:
Talk it Out NC
The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has been charged by Governors McCrory and Cooper with directly addressing the issue of underage drinking. The ABC Commission established the Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking, which gave birth to the Talk it Out multi-media campaign. RIZE provide consultation services to the Talk It Out program.
Lost Dreams Awakening Center
Community empowerment is a foundational component of the RIZE way. RIZE is honored to partner with Lost Dreams Awaken Center (LDA) to empower their organization in promoting the right and resources for individuals, families, and communities to recover through education, advocacy, and recovery support services. Through our collaboration, LDA was awarded its first federal grant to fund expanding their harm reduction work for the next three years.
