N.C. A&T Alzheimer’s Center Launches Community Health Ambassador Academy

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 10, 2025) – The Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health (COAACH) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has launched its inaugural COAACH Community Health Ambassador Academy. The program is designed to empower passionate individuals who are well-connected in the community to lead health-focused initiatives, introduce participants to research, promote wellness and serve as key connectors between health care providers and the community.

“This particular initiative is somewhat unique to our past programming because we are building it around the ambassadors conducting a community or organizational needs assessment,” said COAACH Director Travonia Brown-Hughes, Ph.D. “We’re not specifying that they have to focus on brain health, but to instead come up with a particular targeted health promotion topic or idea. Everything is based on what is relevant to what their community or organization needs most.”

The ambassadors meet with COAACH staff and N.C. A&T professors over the course of eight weeks to have interactive discussions that cover health care disparities, the social determinants of health, community-based research, needs assessment development and analysis, health promotion and community advocacy, social media marketing and building relevant workshops that are based on the outcomes from their community or organizational needs assessment.

“We’re investing in our ambassadors so that they can invest in their communities. We are also creating a network that ultimately extends COAACH’s reach into the community,” said Ambassador Academy program specialist Evelyn Hoover, Ph.D., RN.

The ambassadors will present their projects and receive certificates from COAACH during the final session.

Inaugural Ambassador Academy cohort members are: Crystal Lee, AuthoraCare Collective; Ernestine “Tina” Surgeon, grassroots organizer against domestic violence; Georgeanna “Georgea” Womack, Word of Life Pentecostal Church of Christ; and Veronica “Ronni” Brooks, Glenwood Community.

“So far this program has allowed me to hone my skills and will allow me to help even more people,” said Surgeon.

“I agree, this is allowing me to expand my ability to help outside of my home and family circles, and really understand what my community needs,” said Womack.