Flow chart showing the continuum of community engagement, starting with Inform. Those working within community engagement should provide the public with objective information that they should know about and can act on. This is followed by consult. Those in this field should obtain and consider feedback or input on ideas, issues, and decisions. Involve is the next section of the chart and means to work with the public to understand issues and problems and include them in options moving forward. This is followed by collaborate, meaning to seek the public’s advice and thoughts to include them in the decision making process. This leads to the final section, empower. Final decisions are made by the public and those in community engagement work to implement them. Figure adapted from: McCloskey, D. J., McDonald, M. A., Cook, J., Heurtin-Roberts, S., Updergrove, S., Sampson, D., Gutter, S., & Eder, M. (2011). Chapter 1: What Is Community Engagement? In Principles of Community Engagement. NIH.