1511-11632

This investment supports the Michigan Oral Health Coalition to continue its partnership with Oral Health Kansas and the Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition in the Midwest Collaborative to implement and provide necessary technical assistance and resources to 15 newly-established local oral health coalitions, connecting community stakeholders to state and national partners in the oral health movement. Specifically, each state partner will renew its partnership with the selected communities; identify two oral health champions to serve as project leads; provide ongoing technical assistance and training designed around effective community organizing, local stakeholder engagement strategies, and advocacy; coordinate Peer-Learning opportunities across communities and states; and collect and track data related to evidence-based practices amongst local coalitions, including the presence and utilization of Age One visits, community water fluoridation, dental sealants, and number of medical providers certified to apply fluoride varnish. Each state has identified and engaged 5 new community coalitions, some of which focus their efforts on specific populations like pregnant women or adults with special needs. The newly formed coalitions have established a coalition infrastructure, organizational goals, and a specific set of objectives for Year 2. This regional network will connect local coalitions to state and national networks, develop a common vision of systems change necessary for an oral health movement, and provide participating communities with access to resources, knowledge, and oral health data necessary to enact large-scale change. $567,539 will be used to support the time of each community development specialist needed to assist in program development and expansion efforts and to provide technical assistance to local coalitions; the development of educational webinars, print program materials, advocacy and data reports, and to maintain sections of the three coalitions’ websites related to the initiative and Oral Health 2020; in-state travel for Kansas, Michigan and Wisconsin development activities, trainings, surveys, and presentations as well as out-of-state invitations to present on the Oral Health 2020 movement and Michigan’s initiative; and meeting expenses and administrative costs associated with the project's implementation. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 Goal 4 of eradicating dental disease in children and the target that with the closing of disparity gaps, 85% of children reach age 5 without a cavity.