The LAAMPP Institute

The Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota’s Parity for Priority Populations Institute (LAAMPP Institute) is a cross cultural leadership institute on tobacco control for priority populations in Minnesota.[1][2] Adapted from the APPEAL Leadership Model and funded by ClearWay Minnesota in 2005, the LAAMPP Institute is in its third cycle. Emerging and established leaders are recruited from five priority populations: African/African American, American Indian, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Chicano/Latino, and Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender communities.

The LAAMPP Institute has trained nearly 100 fellows on building individual leadership skills and engaging their communities in policy and systems change. For example, in 2013, LAAMPP fellows and alumni were instrumental in mobilizing support for an increase of Minnesota’s tobacco tax to $1.60 per pack of cigarettes.

Lessons learned from the LAAMPP Institute include:

  1. leadership development can build community capacity to engage in tobacco control and other social justice and health equity issues;
  2. cross cultural leadership development requires highly-qualified trainers and facilitators and a principle-based model; and
  3. cross cultural collaboration facilitated through leadership development can result in powerful policy and systems change.

The LAAMPP Institute was evaluated using baseline and post-Institute surveys, interviews of fellows, coaches and staff, pre- and post-tests of individual trainings, and video recordings.

  1. Lew R, Martinez J, Soto C, Baezconde-Garbanati L. Training Leaders From Priority Populations to Implement Social Norm Changes in Tobacco Control: Lessons From the LAAMPP Institute. Health Promotion Practice, November 2011 vol. 12 no. 6 suppl 2 195S-198S.
  2. Ericson R, St. Claire A, Schillo B, Martinez J et al. Developing Leaders in Priority Populations to Address Tobacco Disparities: Results From a Leadership Institute, J Public Health Management Practice, 2013, 19(1), E1–E8.