Background: French-speaking African immigrant communities in Colorado remain underrepresented in public health outreach, leadership initiatives, and Community Health Worker (CHW) development efforts. Language barriers, cultural differences, and limited access to culturally responsive health information may reduce engagement with public health systems. VIE Colorado partnered with the Patients Navigation & Community Health Worker Training (PNCT) program to strengthen relationships with French-speaking African community leaders and increase participation in public health initiatives.
Methods: The initiative applied the “3 C’s of Community Engagement” framework: Connect, Collaborate, and Communicate. Relationship-building efforts focused on engaging community leaders, faith communities, and immigrant-serving organizations through bilingual outreach and culturally responsive dialogue. Collaboration between VIE Colorado, PNCT, and community stakeholders created opportunities to discuss health priorities, leadership development, and pathways to community health workforce engagement. Communication strategies included adaptation of public health materials into French, participation in community-centered events, and ongoing conversations regarding health access and prevention.
Results: The initiative strengthened visibility and participation of French-speaking African communities within local public health spaces. Community engagement activities created opportunities for dialogue between public health partners and community leaders around oral health education, community health priorities, and representation in civic spaces. Participation in cultural celebrations, local government events, and collaborative meetings helped reinforce trust and encouraged stronger leadership involvement in community health discussions. Community leaders also contributed perspectives on health needs affecting their communities and participated in advocacy efforts supporting youth-focused initiatives. These efforts positioned community leaders as trusted messengers capable of strengthening connections between immigrant communities and public health systems.
Implications: This initiative demonstrates how culturally responsive partnerships and multilingual engagement strategies can strengthen trust, shared leadership, and inclusion in public health practice. The 3 C’s framework serves as a practical model for engaging multilingual and historically underrepresented immigrant communities across Colorado.
