Community Engagement Core

SUMMARY: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE The CEC serves as the information and communications nexus for the GC-CPEH. Our overall goal is to assist the communities we serve in achieving a healthy environment through by actively engaging community partners. Our Vision is to foster healthy communities by increasing communication and building collaborative relationships to implement research and programming responsive to community needs; develop, adapt, and share innovative strategies for engagement; and improve use of scientific findings to deepen understanding of environmental health issues affecting the greater Houston area and the Gulf Coast Region. Specific Aims to achieve this Vision are: Aim 1: Engage community partners through multi-modal communication strategies that identify community needs, inform Center directions and research, and establish avenues for disseminating relevant environmental health sciences (EHS) to collaborators (research to impact). Specific Aim 2: Advance the fields of community engagement and environmental health communication through innovative strategies and mechanisms. Specific Aim 3: Translate and disseminate EHS to improve understanding of environmental health and strengthen the ability of individuals and organizations to make informed decisions related to environmental health. Activities focus on multi-modal communications, translating and disseminating EHS for our communities, rigorously evaluating program effectiveness, and sharing best practices. CEC collaborators include Center leaders and members, and targeted audiences comprising community members, including Veterans and those engaged in EHS decision-making. We aim to broaden participation across all areas of the Center’s work. The CEC uses multiple strategies to engage partners and connect with a wide variety of audiences. SCI Café (where Science and Communities Interact) provides a venue for research translation through informal dialogues among scientists and community members. Additional gatherings of community members and Center investigators provide opportunities for open dialogue and mutual learning, helping to identify emerging environmental health concerns that have guided the Center's research responsive to community needs. A vital Community Advisory Board (CAB) informs Center science and provides a mechanism for communication between our investigators and our extensive network of community partners.