Co-designing an Inclusive Community Engagement Toolkit with an Indigenous Health Center

Native American Health Center (NAHC) provides comprehensive services to improve the health and well-being of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and residents of the surrounding communities,. NAHC recognizes and respects the culture, identity, and traditions of all people. They utilize a holistic model of care, which treats each member as a whole person, acknowledging and responding to their physical, emotional, spiritual, and social service needs. With a new facility design underway, the joint project team set off with a shared goal of co-designing a space of belonging and community history as part of the new community cultural center. The pandemic hit right around our project kickoff, and as a front-line health center, our collaborator’s attention and priorities shifted. What emerged was a desire for best practices and a toolkit to engage their community members around the community center design.