Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies

Approach to a Group of Adolescents from Key Populations to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Cuba

Lídice Mederos Villalón — 2026-02-05

to becoming infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) than the general population and therefore are considered a key population for HIV prevention strategies in Cuba. Children under 18 years of age who engage in these specific risk practices may be part of this key population. Objective: Identify the needs for guidance, information, and knowledge related to the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for adolescents in selected municipalities of Havana who are part of key populations at higher risk for becoming infected with HIV and other STIs. Method: A qualitative study using the theoretical principles of phenomenology. Intentional non-probabilistic sampling identified a group of adolescents between 15 and 19 years old to participate in focus groups with the aim of achieving rapprochement. After the focus groups were completed, the participants requested that workshops be held. Results: Participants reported that they do not have timely information about sexual health and prevention of HIV as well as other STIs. Their general knowledge about infections was scarce and permeated with erroneous information. Although they felt the need to know their HIV status, they were unaware of how to seek out this information. Their families constituted one of the main sources of violence and discrimination. Conclusions: It is necessary to expand the evidence base for key adolescent populations, design comprehensive and multidisciplinary strategies that reduce their vulnerability to HIV and other STIs and guarantee that they receive timely support and treatment.

The Nurse Policy Entrepreneur Café: Redefining Nursing Identity

Grace Kistner — 2026-01-13

The nursing profession was established in a spirit of individual policy entrepreneurship, yet this identity has been sparsely activated despite a recognized social contract with the public as a trusted advocate and a history of nurse policy entrepreneurs. The Nurse Policy Entrepreneur Café (NPEC) is an unaffiliated volunteer group that focuses on skill development, networking, innovative approaches to identifying barriers, and offering support and resources to empower interested nurses to create their personal and professional development strategy to become effective partners in health-care policy development, reform, and implementation. The NPEC was established in 2022, utilizing an online adaptation of The World Café Method to paint a picture of the Nurse Policy Entrepreneur identity, and has since expanded to include resources such as presentations, blogs, a newsletter, and support for global participant networking, supporting the needs of all nurses and nursing students worldwide.

“Life Is Beautiful, and There Are Other Neurodivergent People Out There Too”: A Strengths-Based Arts Program for Autistic Youth

Katelyn Siekman — 2026-01-13

This program evaluation examined outcomes of a program called The Fellowship, designed for autistic youth and young adults ages 15–39 and implemented across six rural and mid-sized Wisconsin communities. The Fellowship integrates interest-driven creative activities, peer discussion, and reflection, grounded in Positive Youth Development and the OT framework of doing, being, belonging, + becoming. Fifty-four participants engaged in the six-month program. The authors used thematic analysis of weekly online post-session reflections to assess program impact. The authors identified five themes: Belonging and Community-Building, Artistic Process and Perseverance, Artistic Self-Efficacy, Self-Discovery, and Program Enjoyment. Participants frequently reported increased confidence, connection, and a sense of identity through creative expression. The authors identified creative agency and consistent community support as key facilitators in these outcomes. Findings indicated that The Fellowship fosters critical developmental outcomes for autistic youth and young adults, including improved self-confidence, social connection, and a sense of identity, which are essential for successful transitions to adulthood and community belonging. These results suggest practical implications for professionals working with autistic youth, highlighting the value of integrating creative, strengths-based, and community-centered approaches. Further research of long-term outcomes is needed to understand the broader applicability of this approach across various populations and settings.

Relationship Restoration and Community-Based Income: Towards Sustainable Societies

Robin Krabbe — 2025-12-19

Two defining features of our age are a psychosocial crisis and an ecological crisis. Addressing the former may be the key to addressing the latter. One concept that appears to contribute to our psychosocial crisis is psychological woundedness. This paper highlights intergenerational emotional neglect as a major source of woundedness and contends that healing from emotional neglect is almost impossible to achieve without help from others. Relationship restoration is identified as a key aspect of improving the human condition towards a partnership society and away from domination, a crucial challenge to addressing our ecological and psychosocial crises. Community-based income (CBI) aims to build the skills to heal emotional neglect and create relational and restorative communities based on a social investment approach, particularly long-term investment in people. CBI is a model in which participants are paid an income for any activity the community deems eligible, such as caring for people of all ages, study, work experience, and/or helping with community projects. CBI aims to build restorative and compassionate communities, based initially on addressing woundedness.

Salmon and Cattle Coexistence in Oregon Estuaries: Partner Assessments of Elinor Ostrom’s Governance Scheme

Daniel Nuckols — 2025-12-19

Various natural and human factors have adversely affected watersheds and estuaries, harming both ecosystems and economies. Unions of diverse partners address these negative impacts through conservation and restoration actions, often with negligible government influence. This research is a case study of partner governance pertaining to how seven participating alliances developed a project to improve damaged wetlands and farmlands, to benefit juvenile salmon and cattle. Their project took place in the Winter Lake area of the Coquille estuary of Oregon. Elinor Ostrom, recipient of the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, identified global cases in which successful non-state partner governance of common-pool resources existed. After being educated on Ostrom’s core design principles, the seven project collaborators judged whether Ostrom’s governance framework existed within their partnership. The purpose of this study was to allow core collaborators to analyze the presence or absence of each design principles and to reflect on whether their partnership had a de facto governance framework. While none of the partners was initially aware of Ostrom’s work, they acknowledged and elaborated on how parts of her governance framework existed within the project, but also questioned whether some elements of successful governance of a commons were missing. This case study expands the research on commons governance by prompting interviewees to offer and evaluate their own perceptions of successful governance of the commons, offering new and varied experiences about its management.

Resilient Landscapes for Reimagined Futures

Thana Zoske — 2026-01-14

This article documents stories of the East Phillips community of Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, in their ongoing struggle for environmental justice and resilience in the face of historic redlining, industrial zoning, and cumulative pollution. Drawing from community-engaged storytelling, art, and collective organizing, the Resilient Landscapes for Re-Imagined Futures project illustrates how residents have resisted harmful development while envisioning healthier, sustainable futures, including proposals for transforming the Roof Depot site, a large former industrial roofing warehouse, into a community-driven space for urban agriculture, environmental healing, and long-term neighborhood resilience. The integration of intergenerational voices and creative practices demonstrates the power of arts-based approaches in fostering social cohesion, amplifying marginalized perspectives, and mobilizing collective action. By situating East Phillips within broader frameworks of environmental justice and planetary health, the article highlights how local movements can contribute to systemic change.

Readers' Theatre: What Is It? Why Does It Matter?

Mary Keepers — 2025-12-19

Readers’ Theatre is a simple, yet powerful, spoken word art form that can be transformative, informative, and celebratory. Storytelling is an ancient art form that serves purposes ranging from entertainment and education to cultural preservation and building connections. The Readers’ Theatre model, outlined in this article, combines these approaches with a twist. In this case, readers represent the voices of the writers to protect the individuals’ privacy. In other words, no one reads their own story. The article includes personal comments from people who shared a common bond: the Readers’ Theatre experience. In addition to inspiring a message of change, Readers’ Theatre can be used as a unique educational tool that fosters cultures of partnership and empathy. The message is not delivered top-down but instead comes from among those involved. Hearing the voices of those who have a shared experience creates a healing, enlightening environment for a community.

Key Words: Storytelling, Theater, Transformative Narrative, Community

Artist's Statement: Don't Need It to Be Stable

Annie Hejny — 2025-12-19

Artist’s Statement for the cover art of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies, Volume 12, Issue 2: Don’t Need It to Be Stable, acrylic and collected Lake Superior water on canvas.

Call for Papers: IJPS Volume 13, Issue 1 (2026)

IJPS Editors — 2025-12-19

The Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies (IJPS) invites scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders from all disciplines to submit original articles for our first issue of 2026.

We welcome original submissions in a variety of categories including research, quality improvement, case studies, art, and narratives. Submissions must not have been published or be under review elsewhere. Manuscripts should include alignment to partnership approaches, at the community, national, or global level.

See more information and our full submission guidelines in the attached PDF. The submission deadline is March 15, 2026.

Thank you,

The Editors

Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies