A team of four Masters of Public Health students worked as public health consultants under the supervision of Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) staff and Gillings faculty on an academic year-long critical service-learning course between August of 2024 and May of 2025. The students were asked to connect ROI’s work to date with the systems-map created by Edgecombe County community members, highlight the voices of community members who were involved with specific ROI programs and pilots, and demonstrate how ROI’s work follows their Social Innovation Approach, as well as evidence-based practice and research.

Students conducted two qualitative interviews with individuals who were involved with or impacted by at least one of four of ROI’s pilots/programs: the Policy Listening Sessions, the Medicaid Pilot at the HOPE Alternative Learning Program, the trauma and resiliency training for Edgecombe County school resource officers (SROs), and the Tarboro Young Civic Leaders Internship. The goal was to develop case studies of ROI’s work that were clear, concise, easy to consume, and demonstrate how ROI has executed their social innovation process.

Check out the full report to deepen your understanding of our work and hear directly from involved community member’s about their experience.