Community Engagement Core

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY The Community Engagement Core (CEC) will translate ShARP Center research findings to increase environmental health awareness on water contamination and health risks from Superfund hazardous substances to mitigate PFAS contamination. For Aim 1, the CEC will facilitate communication between the ShARP Center and local, regional, and national audiences on PFAS exposures and health risks. To achieve this aim, the CEC will develop collaborations with local leaders to help inform the ShARP Center of local concerns about ongoing and emerging environmental health issues. For Aim 2, the CEC will utilize education as prevention tools for responding to local concerns about PFAS contamination. To achieve this aim, the CEC will: (a) partner with local organizations and healthcare workers to conduct workshops and trainings to increase awareness about PFAS and other Superfund hazardous substances and their health effects; and (b) work with local leaders to prioritize concerns and respond by providing scientific expertise to increase environmental health literacy, including providing skill-based training of healthcare workers and individual ShARP investigator consultations with local partners. For Aim 3, the CEC will integrate community collaborations for science dissemination to local, statewide, and national audiences. CEC personnel will collect local information and integrate this information to influence ShARP Center projects’ methods, data generation, analysis, and dissemination of research findings. The CEC will also utilize innovative communication methods, tailoring print and web-based materials and resources for intended audiences, creating easy-to-understand materials for ShARP research findings. For Aim 4, the CEC will co-develop potential prevention efforts utilizing ShARP Center research findings in combination with local collaborations. The CEC will facilitate ShARP Center investigators and local partners to utilize research findings and local information to collaboratively identify and design recommendations to address PFAS contamination. Collectively, the CEC will ensure collaboration across all ShARP Center projects and cores by informing all Center investigators of local concerns to strengthen scientific dissemination and prioritize emerging research needs.