Community Engagement & Education
Community Engagement & Education Hub (CEEd): The mission of the hub is to advance neuroscience by cultivating bi-directional relationships between MIDB and the various communities we work with—including youth, families, practitioners, and educators. We co-create community service, participatory research, and education initiatives that reflect shared priorities. We support innovative new platforms for dissemination of research findings and public health messaging, as well as community resilience and foster lifelong engagement with brain health. We aim to amplify the impact of brain health research and community voice through informing local and state policy.
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Our Expertise
The CEEd Hub supports clinicians, researchers, and staff across MIDB in building authentic, community-informed partnerships. We co-develop accessible brain health promotion services, and collaborate on initiatives that bridge science, education, and public health. Our work spans outreach, training, and strategic communication efforts that elevate community voices, support youth involvement, and promote shared learning between MIDB and the communities we serve.
Our Director
Dziwe Ntaba, MD, MPH, Director, CEEd Hub and Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
How We Engage
Our Team
Dziwe Ntaba, MD, MPH
Director, CEEd Hub
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Rachel Ruthig
Coordinator
Examples of Our Engagement
Brain Health Solutions for All (In partnership with SMSBF and CdS)
The goal of this project is to help young people understand the power of the brain to strengthen themselves and their communities. CEEd has engaged with the youth by introducing hands-on activities that promote brain science as well as hosting community events at MIDB. The youth journalists will begin interviewing researchers and creating content to disseminate MIDB science in a more organic way.
BrainWaves
Supported by the City of Minneapolis, CEEd Hub and UMN Extension are developing curriculum around substance use and addiction. This curriculum is designed to engage middle school students in non-formal education settings, where interactive, hands-on learning experiences make neuroscience accessible and exciting. Each lesson incorporates activities that allow students to explore neuroscience concepts through model-building, sensory/motor/language exercises, and games.
Department of Defense Child Collaboration Study
The goal of this study is to expand access to behavioral health developmental health care for highly mobile and geographically dispersed children, families, and caregivers in rural Minnesota. The CEEd Hub contributions included virtual and in-person focus group facilitation to get input on issues related to this topic that are seen as important and relevant to their community. Input also helped shape the ECHO series. CEEd also tabled at a conference to promote the DOD project and provided additional consultation to the larger team on community engagement plans.
Additional Services
Open Door Policy
The CEEd Hub helps organizations access and navigate the resources of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB). We guide partners through the process of using the Community Annex space, ensuring they feel welcomed and supported in hosting gatherings, events, or collaborative projects. From there, we connect them with the appropriate Research Facility Support Services, helping to triage introductions and streamline access so that community partners can meaningfully engage with the community rooms.
Community Member Access
The CEEd Hub builds authentic connections between the community and the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB). We collaborate with local organizations by listening to their unique needs and identifying meaningful ways to provide support. Through these partnerships, we create opportunities for community members to engage in research, participate in events, and access educational resources. Our goal is to ensure that every collaboration is responsive, inclusive, and grounded in mutual learning—bringing the world of MIDB into the community and the community into MIDB.