Building a Better Future: Using LEGO Facilitation in a Community Listening Session on Violence Prevention

There are notable challenges in building effective partnerships between public health researchers, institutions, and community members. We used LEGO facilitation techniques to engage different stakeholders in group discussion, knowledge sharing, and creative problem solving to critically examine the challenges and opportunities for improvement in violence prevention in South Philadelphia. The workshop was designed to collaboratively develop a shared language for discussing issues, co-construct possible solutions, and foster a strong working relationship between researchers, practitioners, and community members. In doing so, these groups of stakeholders sought to work together to determine how to best support the needs of the community through public health efforts. Implications for public health practice and research are discussed.