Heredity Project (Memphis, TN) was formed in conjunction with Curves Midtown to increase its 475 members' awareness of family health histories and heredity. The goal of the project is to increase genetic literacy for the general public by meshing common perceptions of family with health-related genetic information. Heredity Project believes that it will be particularly effective to draw participants from Curves because many members have concerns about weight-related health risks and they already have a built-in incentives system to encourage involvement. By participating in an array of events, including development of the Does it Run in the Family? customizable toolkit, members earn tickets redeemable toward prizes in monthly drawings.

Initially, Heredity Project will generate and disseminate weekly questionnaires to determine members’ relative knowledge of hereditary illness, as well as their attitudes toward family health history. These preliminary surveys will serve to:

Heredity Project and Curves Midtown will begin to customize the Does it Run in the Family? toolkit by garnering awareness of family health histories and the overall program by promoting discussions with an information center inside the facility. After sufficient interest in the program has been established, Heredity Project will start hosting weekly, hour-long presentations for members to show that genetic variation is a natural part of the human condition. During these informational sessions, members will answer general questions about family health history for redeemable Curves tickets.

When awareness of the program has increased to an effective level, Heredity Project will begin collection workshops where Curves Midtown members will be able to formulate and document their family health histories on paper or orally. For members that cannot attend these workshops, forms to document their histories, along with demonstrative booklets, will be available to them in the information center located at the Curves location.

As stories are submitted, they will be typed into a “story bank” and assigned keywords. The bank will be reviewed and classified according to the organization and customizable elements of the Does it Run in the Family? toolkit. Stories will be edited as needed to reinforce themes and concepts, while maintaining the voice and persona of the storyteller. While using the first-person voice of the storyteller, emphasis will be placed on helping the reader make connections between the details of the story and relevant concepts. Upon completion of the booklets, they will be disseminated to members through the Curves Midtown information center andelectronically on HeredityProject.org. Additionally, Heredity Project will collaborate with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to disseminate the completed booklets to established media outlets and the university news. Media distribution of the Does it Run in the Family? booklets will raise community awareness and increase regional understanding of the importance of family health histories.

At the culmination of the project, an open house-style celebration of the project will be held at Curves during normal operating hours. Completed booklets will be distributed. Promotional activities will be held several times throughout the day, including personal testimonials, games, door prizes, and refreshments.