Education and Engagement
NIEHS recognizes that education and engagement is vital in communicating the health impacts of a changing climate and informing the research agenda. NIEHS develops educational resources for teachers related to environmental health science and climate change, and participates in engagement activities with interested stakeholders on the issue of climate change and human health.
Educational Activities
- HHS Education Working Group
- U.S. Global Change Research Program Communications and Education Workgroup
- Educational Workshops:
Interagency Symposium: Teaching About Climate Change – Here and Now
National Science Teachers Association National Conference, Indianapolis
March 29, 2012, 8am – 12:30 pm
During this half-day symposium, scientists and education specialists from NIEHS, NOAA, and the U.S. Forest Service will present information and activities about climate science and the impacts of climate change on the ocean, forests and human health. Participants will be provided with resources and activities about the process of science, the use of data in the classroom, and how to address climate misconceptions and controversial issues. Each participant will receive a $60 stipend for attendance.
Climate Change: What is it, Why Should I Care, & What Can I Do?
U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC
June 11-15, 2012, 9 am-4 pm
NIEHS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are co-hosting a 1-week workshop to educate high school students in North Carolina about the science and impacts of climate change. Students will learn what climate change is, how it can affect their health and lifestyle, and how they can take action to reduce the impact and adapt to climate change. Workshop sessions will be led by NIEHS and EPA scientists and hands-on learning and interactive case studies will be emphasized. Students who are rising 11th and 12th graders enrolled in North Carolina Public Schools are eligible to apply, and 25 students will be accepted to participate. Students will be selected based on their passion for protecting human health and the environment, their interest in pursuing environmental or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields in college, their high school academic performance, and two teacher recommendations. Students who fully participate in the 5-day workshop will receive a $200 stipend upon completion of the workshop. There is no cost to attend the Workshop. NIEHS and EPA are unable to provide housing and transportation for workshop attendees.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Workshop
November 2011
NIEHS staff participated as an instructor on health and climate in Climate and Society, an 8-week course hosted by George Mason University that explored ways in which climate and human society intersect. Through facilitated dialogs, participants interacted with subject matter experts, climate scientists, social scientists and one-another as they re-examine their priorities and values, envision the future, and discuss the trade-offs among the myriad of climate-related choices we face today.
APHA Climate Communication Learning Institute
October 29, 2011
Washington, DC
NIEHS staff organized, instructed, and participated in “Effectively Communicating the Human Health Impacts of Climate Change: A Skills Development Workshop” at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.
Engagement Activities
We engage with various stakeholder audiences on the issue of climate change and health in a number of settings including informally, at scientific meetings and conferences, in listening sessions, through roundtables, by presentations, and by participation in climate change and public health related Communities of Practice.
Examples of some of these are listed below:
- American Meteorological Society Board on Health
- American Public Health Association Climate Change Topic Committee
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- CAMEL – Climate, Adaptation, Mitigation, E-Learning
- Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation COP
- Friends of the NIEHS
- NIEHS Public Interest Partners (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/community/publicinterest/index.cfm)
- National Association of County and City Health Officials
- National Climate Assessment
- Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/index.cfm)
- Public Health Institute Center for Public Health and Climate Change
- U.S. GEO Health COP
Contact
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Banalata (Bono) Sen, Ph.D.
Program Director, Health Literacy Environmental Health Perspectives -
Tel (919) 541-4692
senb@niehs.nih.gov
