Program Purpose: The goal of Cultivate is to support leadership development and enhance meaningful engagement for people with HIV in health care planning and programs.

Key Cultivate Activities:

• Conducting leadership development training of trainers (ToT) for people with HIV
• Supporting ToT trainees in delivering training within their local communities, reaching an additional 2,000 community members and potential leaders
• Creating and supporting a peer network among program graduates
• Developing and disseminating relevant tools and lessons learned

ToT trainees receive training and support: Training materials and coaching support are provided to ToT trainees to prepare them to deliver a local training after they complete the ToT. AIDS United will enter into consulting agreements with accepted ToT applicants. ToT trainees will be compensated for time and effort for ToT training time and completion of post-ToT training goals. The consulting agreement will outline the terms and conditions. Travel and hotel accommodation are provided for out-of-town ToT trainees.

Upcoming ToTs:

• Clark County, Nevada – October 13-15, 2026
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida – February 2-4, 2027
• Location TBD – May 11-13, 2027

Apply to participate in Cultivate: Link to Online Application

For each ToT, 20 participants will be selected. For in-person ToTs, 10 of these participants will be local to the training area. Cultivate ToTs are for people with HIV who want to expand their leadership skills and engagement in health care planning and programs.

1. Leadership Pillars: Cultivate builds and promotes leadership of people with HIV across three levels:
   Individual Level (Pillar 1): Individual development involves understanding leadership styles, building relationships, operating in professional workplaces, and effectively using technology to enhance impact.
2. Community Level (Pillar 2): Community Engagement focuses on developing partnerships, building coalitions, and navigating local policy decisions.
3. System Level (Pillar 3): Systems engagement includes skills in data analysis, clinical quality management, and serving on advisory boards and planning bodies.

Contacts

Program Contact

Alicia Downes
Project Director
AIDS United
ADownes@aidsunited.org

HRSA Contact

Michelle Osterman
Clinical and Quality Branch, Division of Policy and Data, HIV/AIDS Bureau
MOsterman@hrsa.gov

Funding

Funding Mechanism: Cooperative Agreement
Recipient Organization: AIDS United
Grant number: U69HA53209
Project Period: September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2028