MS in Community Health and Social Justice Capstone Spring 2026

Capstone is a culminating community-engaged health project completed over two quarters. Students synthesize and apply competencies and skills acquired in the program, partnering with community-based agencies to create equity-focused innovative solutions addressing health disparities and social injustices in the region.

Urban Tree Canopy Strategies, Planning and Policy for Snohomish County Health Department: This project examined how urban tree canopy planning can support public health, climate resilience, and environmental equity in unincorporated Snohomish County. It synthesized evidence-based urban tree canopy strategies and municipal planning approaches to help inform Snohomish County’s future urban tree canopy planning, policy development, and community health education efforts. Additionally, the project had the goals of producing a community health education toolkit of infographics designed for adolescents, families with teens, and older community members and an in-depth literature review leading to recommendation for the County.
Improving Awareness of Lead Exposure from Consumer Products Within the Somali Community: The purpose of this partnership is to increase awareness of lead exposure risks from cookware and ceramics among pregnant women. This project seeks to develop culturally appropriate educational materials for the Somali community, providing the County with policy recommendations to reduce the risk of lead exposure.
Cook with Love not Lead: Lead Exposure and Testing Awareness During Pregnancy for the Afghan Community: Created a community-based education program of health educational materials (infographics) to aid the Afghan population in understanding lead exposure risks and the need for lead testing. Pregnant populations and caregivers of young children were the focus of this project. The projected resulted in next steps and recommendations for the county to continue creating and dissemination health education materials to increase awareness of the risks of using lead based cookware.
Lead in Beauty: Creating Educational Material About Lead Exposure During Pregnancy For Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Created educational material on lead exposure risks during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and to address gaps in current resources for families and healthcare providers. Develop infographics and website material for healthcare providers and the community. The projected resulted in next steps and recommendations for the county to Expand partnerships with organizations that serve the Afghan, Middle Eastern, and African communities to strengthen community trust and support.

Addressing Fragmented Health Service Systems in Community & Higher Education Settings: This project Identified gaps in coordinated faculty/staff wellness infrastructure proposing a prevention oriented cross-campus wellness programming. This included the co-development of a North Sound Wellness Initiative (NSWI) grant proposal.
Strengthening Latinx Civic Engagement: Advocacy Tools for Immigrant Rights and Housing Access: This project addressed systemic barriers that limit Latinx civic participation. The goal was to overcome the barriers by developing a strategic advocacy plan. The deliverables included the advocacy plan, community engagement toolkit, and training resources to build civic participation.
Empowerment as a Prescription for Economic Mobility: Catering and Business Management Training for Latinx Families: This project developed a business planning toolkit, timeline and logic model for the Commercial Kitchen of LETI to aid in their effort towards becoming financially self-sustaining. Recommendations for LETI’s developing culinary catering program were designed to provide participants with the tools, training, and resources necessary for success in the culinary industry.
Promoting Advocacy Strategies for Latinx Communities: Healthcare and Workers’ Rights: This project’s goal was to provide advocacy awareness, accessibility, and skills for the Latinx community. It resulted in a community engagement toolkit (advocacy toolkit), training materials for community advocates and an advocacy plan for how to implement advocacy tools.
Intergenerational Empowerment and Health in a Latino Family Economic Mobility Program: The purpose of this project was to build organizational capacity for program planning and future grantsmanship for a new program. It is called the Incubator for Family Success, and it empowered Latino families to achieve economic mobility. The project deliverables are program recommendations for LETI’s Incubator for Family Success and logic models demonstrating expected outcome

Expanding Access to Healthcare Career Pathways Through Culturally Responsive Family Engagement: Explored how family engagement strengthens healthcare pathway access and health literacy for Black families. The project yielded community-informed recommendations to strengthen health literacy and healthcare career pathway access through family engagement.

Advancing Equitable Palliative Care for Hispanic/Latino Patients, Families and Caregivers: Bridging Evidence and Practice: This project identified and translated culturally responsive palliative care interventions into practical, real-world narrative case studies for dissemination and highlight implementation factors such as feasibility, sustainability and replicability across diverse healthcare and community care settings. It resulted in the creation of narrative case studies to help clinicians and healthcare organizations implement interventions for their organizations.
Advancing Culturally-Responsive Palliative Care for Hispanic/Latino Communities: Project work involved developing implementation-focused CAPC Innovation Hub content for providers and health systems. The partnership aimed to improve equitable access to culturally responsive palliative care for Hispanic/Latino patients and families. The project developed CAPC Innovation Hub blog posts translating scientific evidence into practical educational resources focused on bilingual communication, patient navigation, and culturally responsive care.

Updated July 2026