Engagement & Education

We are committed to promoting empowering education for our community members and for the next generation of reproductive health advocates.

Community Engagement (CE) is a cornerstone of onWHARD, and we are purposeful about ensuring CE occurs not only within — but extends outside of and continues beyond — our research projects.

Our events are often multi-purpose, providing a forum for education, exchange, and relationship-building. For instance, a recent day-long public event — hosted in partnership with the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research — offered attendees an introduction to the mission of the Institute and the value of health research; community and academy-led presentations on the history of health equity and women’s health; and break-out rooms dedicated to related topics of discussion. Several of these discussion rooms, dedicated to ‘Understanding the Digital Divide’ and ‘Trust in Clinical Trials’ have signaled key areas for future community support.

Below, you will find summaries of our most recent events and a calendar of upcoming CE efforts. We are always finding new ways to engage with the community and welcome suggestions.

To understand who we are, please also read about our team members, many of whom are student researchers, and visit our onWHARD alumni to see who has worked with us over the years.

Meet the team

Many onWHARD members are student researchers.

Suggest an event

We welcome ideas for new ways to engage with the community.

Recent Happenings

onWHARD Drives Women’s Health Awareness

A ‘proclamation’ is an official statement from the Governor that brings attention to an important issue or cause. It is a powerful way to spread awareness, and our team has now worked successfully with the Governor’s office to support proclamations for National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW; April), Fibroid Awareness Month (July), and – coming soon!…

PEACE Joins The White Dress Project

Stories, reflection, and celebration took center stage this July as the PEACE team joined The White Dress Project’s annual Empowerment Experience in Atlanta.  At our ‘Wellness Studio,” and all weekend long, attendees could pause with us to “Draw (Their) Fibroid Journey,” “Write a Letter” to their fibroids, share a thought on our “Uterus Wall,” and…

MARCH Community Baby Shower

In recognition of Mother’s Day, the MARCH team recently collaborated with Detroit’s Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center to host a “Community Baby Shower.” This special event offered an occasion to celebrate recent and expectant mothers, caregivers, and families in the local community. The event was hosted in a comfortable, family-friendly space on a…

Book Club with Dr. Geronimus

On July 30th, PEACE in collaboration with the onWHARD team, hosted a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Arline Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society. In honor of Fibroid Awareness Month, the evening’s conversation centered on exploring the book’s themes of chronic stress and the intersection…

PEACE Open House

On August 2nd, PEACE hosted its first ever community open house at the Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti where we broke the silence on uterine fibroids alongside fellow onWHARD studies like MARCH. Families and friends joined us to share experiences, learn more about uterine fibroids, and connect with each other over great food.  Around the room…

Bring onWHARD to your community.