KU offers open access tools to grow health and well-being in communities worldwide

 Among the resources at the KU Life Span Institute is the Community Tool Box (CTB), an open-source online library annually accessed by 6 million users across the world who want to improve their communities, improve health, or facilitate social change.  

The CTB was developed as a vehicle for sharing knowledge outside academia into the hands of those who can put it into practice, explained Christina Holt, Assistant Director, Center for Community Health and Development. 

"We hear from people all over the world who are doing critical work to improve community health and well-being—working to address issues they care about,” Holt said. "And the Tool Box is able to help them do that. That's a deeply fulfilling thing to be a small part of.” 

There are a multitude of other ways that individuals have taken advantage of the CTB to improve their communities, some of which are included in the community stories section of the website. 

One example is a program developed by the Jewish Family and Children’s Service in New Jersey, which in 2013 utilized the CTB to address the lack of paid employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the community. 

The organization developed the Soups and Sweets Culinary Training Program, which provides training in catering skills for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, with help from CTB tools.  

A list of relevant tools for projects include information on: 

• Conducting a needs assessment 
• Developing an action plan 
• Getting grants 
• Hiring and training staff 
• Evaluating the program 

The result of efforts is the program that provides 200 hours of food service training in a commercial kitchen. According to the organization, training includes weekly work readiness classes addressing teamwork, attendance and punctuality, grooming and hygiene, safety in the workplace, communication, working effectively with supervisors, and positive professional behavior. 

More than a decade later, nearly 100 students have graduated from Soups and Sweets, with 84% of them obtaining employment as of 2022. Additions to the program have included training to work in a cafe and in retail environments. 

People who have questions about how to use the CTB can browse the website to learn skills, browse a collection of toolboxes, or reach out to researchers for options, including a new online course designed to facilitate team training.  

In addition, a free “Ask an Advisor” service has been launched that provides brief, personalized responses related to work individuals are doing. 

“We would love to help more people find out about the Tool Box,” Holt said. “I think people are pretty hungry for wanting to do something.”