The Health Equity Circle is an interdisciplinary organization of University of Washington students and community members focused on creating Health Equity

We recognize that Health is more than healthcare, we recognize that health is:

A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is a fundamental human right.

From this understanding we realize that achieving health requires collaboration across disciplines, indeed that collaboration is essential.

We believe that for a society to be healthy it must be equitable and that an equitable society is truly healthy.  The question of equity, or justice, cannot be separated from health.

Therefore, our mission is threefold

To bring students and community members together in an interdisciplinary setting

To educate students and community members about Health Equity

To take action on Health Equity issues through developing relationships on campus and in the larger community

How We Work

The Health Equity Circle was started by holding house meetings for students to meet across disciplines and discuss the health issues that they care about most.  These discussions revolved around two questions:

What are the Issues?

How do we address them?

Issues were compiled into 15 groups that were voted on at the Health Equity Circle’s founding assembly.  Participants voted for issues they were willing to work on and any issue with at least 5 supporters, with one willing to act as a chair, was formed as a working group.  Please see our Working Group page for more information  about existing working groups and how to create new ones.

It was very clear from the house meetings that we did not want to provide answers to a community, to play the white knight.  Instead the emphasis was on relationship and collaboration with community groups.  To build this organizational culture the Health Equity Circle joined the Sound Alliance, an alliance of community organizations in the Puget Sound and IAF-affiliate.

Please see our organizing page for more information.

Want to know what we’re up to, join the listserv

https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/healthequitycircle