Community Tool Box (CTB)
< http://ctb.ku.edu>

The Community Tool Box provides over 6,000 pages of practical information to support public health workers’ efforts to promote community health and development. This web site is created and maintained by the Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Developed in collaboration with the AHEC/Community Partners in Amherst, MA, the site has been online since 1995, and continues to grow on a weekly basis. There are “topic sections” or the “big ideas” that have been found to be important in doing community work. Topics such as community assessment, developing a strategic plan, agenda setting, group facilitation, cultural competence, and social marketing provide practical guidance for community development. There are 16 “core competencies” for actually planning the work. These include analyzing problems and goals, increasing participation, advocating for change, sustaining the initiative, and writing a grant application for funding, to mention a few. A Trouble Shooting Guide provides information and possible solutions for those times when obstacles impede community program development. Any public health worker can use this tool to develop a strong community-based health program.