Community Outreach and Education

Together Sandra Uesugi and Naomi Hirsch coordinate Community Education and Outreach. Sandra and Naomi focus on engaging ways to inform the public on reducing risk to environmental factors.

The mission of the Community Outreach and Education Core (COEC) is two-fold:

• COEC’s outreach mission is to translate the research findings of the Center into outreach programs that can be applied to public health; and
• COEC’s education mission is to promote health and science literacy by improving public understanding of environmental health science and the role of environmental factors in human health and disease.

The 2008 - 2009 plans include:

1. Expand and adapt the Hydroville Curriculum Project (HCP), an environmental health problem-based curricua, to reach community audiences. This is being accomplished through:

• Healthy Air - Healthy Homes workshops;
• A grant to take HCP to community colleges; and
• An OSU E-campus course for educators.

Additionally, HCP is continually being marketed to school districts, teachers, and other educators throughout the country.

2. Develop and expand the EHSC web site to include emerging technologies, such as podcasting, to reach new audiences and expand efforts to inform and educate the public about EHSC research.

3. Strengthen environmental health education efforts in Oregon and beyond through effective partnerships with other OSU outreach efforts such as Center for Healthy Aging Research, Linus Pauling Institute, OSU Extension Service and the National Pesticide Information Center.

4. Organize the educational activities for the final year of the Health Observances and Public Education Partnership (HOPE).

See information and resources specific to Teachers and Community.