chwresearchtraining.org

What It Is

CHW Research Training, or “Advancing Research Best Practices for CHWs and Promotoras,” is a research best-practices training program designed for Community Health Workers and Promotoras. The course aims to help frontline community health workers understand research terminology and concepts, and to communicate more effectively, build trust, support recruitment, informed consent, and privacy protection in community-based research.

Core Content and Format

The course includes five modules: Research & Communities, Recruitment, Informed Consent, Privacy & Confidentiality, and Community Health and Well-Being. It is available in both English and Spanish, reflecting attention to culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Learning formats include self-paced online courses, virtual group training, and in-person group training. The online course usually takes about 2 hours to complete and can be taken on a phone or computer; group training places more emphasis on discussion and sharing experiences, and takes about 4–5 hours. The website also provides facilitators with resources such as guides, slide decks, and manuals, making it easier to organize internal training.

Pricing and Certificates

The text clearly states that the course is free. After completing the online course, learners can download a personalized certificate of completion; those who complete group training can receive a certificate from the facilitator. However, the program currently does not offer Continuing Education (CE) credits, so learners who need formal continuing education credit should confirm alternative options separately.

Pros and Cons

Its main strength is its very precise positioning: it is designed around the real roles CHWs/Promotoras play in community-based research, rather than offering generic research ethics training. It is free, bilingual, mobile-friendly, and supports group training, making it suitable for large-scale promotion by organizations. The project was created by the University of Michigan and received NIH-related funding, giving it relatively strong credibility, and both the online and group courses link to evaluation studies. Its limitations are that the terms of use state the course is intended for individuals within the United States, so its applicability to international users is unclear; group training is also not centrally scheduled by the platform and must be arranged by organizations themselves.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is best suited for U.S.-based community health workers, Promotoras, public health research teams, CHW trainers, and organizations that want to help community members participate more effectively in research. For users in China, the course content can serve as a reference for community-engaged research and informed consent training, but its regulatory context, certificate value, and eligibility conditions are mainly U.S.-oriented. Access from mainland China cannot be determined based on the text alone, so it is marked as unknown.