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The author discusses how she utilized Ning.com, a social networking Web site, in incorporating digital media into her English classes. She reveals the impact of being asked to join her school's Digital Media Academy because of her self-proclaimed digital media illiteracy. She outlines the features and capabilities of Ning and its academic purposes. She describes the use of Ning.com for her 10th-grade Gifted and Talented Education Programs (GATE) class and her Honors English class. She relates the response of students to using Ning.com.

Presents an abstract of the study "Using Social Marketing Methodology: Seven Local Jurisdictions Create HIV Campaigns in California," by Kristen Weeks-Norton and colleagues, which was discussed during the University of South Florida College of Public Health's 13th Annual Social Marketing in Public Health Conference in June 2003.

Introduction: Community health workers and promotoras (CHW/Ps) increasingly support research conducted in communities but receive variable or no training. We developed a culturally and linguistically tailored research best practices course for CHW/Ps that can be taken independently or in facilitated groups. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the facilitated training., Methods: CHW/Ps were recruited from communities and partners affiliated with study sites in Michigan, Florida, and California. They participated in virtual or in-person training facilitated by a peer in English or Spanish and then completed a survey about their abilities (i.e., knowledge and skills for participating in research-related work) and perceptions of the training. Linear regression analyses were used to examine differences in training experience across several factors., Results: A total of 394 CHW/Ps, mean age 41.6 ± 13.8 years, completed the training and survey ( n = 275 English; 119 Spanish). Most CHW/Ps were female (80%), and 50% identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish. Over 95% of CHW/Ps rated their abilities as improved after training; 98% agreed the course was relevant to their work and felt the training was useful. Small differences were observed between training sites., Discussion: Most CHW/Ps rated the training positively and noted improved knowledge and skills for engaging in research-related work. Despite slight site differences, the training was well received, and CHW/Ps appreciated having a facilitator with experience working in community-based settings. This course offers a standard and scalable approach to training the CHW/P workforce. Future studies can examine its uptake and effect on research quality., Competing Interests: None., (© The Author(s) 2024.)