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Final Progress Reports: University of California-Berkeley: Outreach - Children's Environmental Health Network

Superfund Research Program

Outreach - Children's Environmental Health Network

Project Leader: Renee L. Robin
Grant Number: P42ES004705
Funding Period: 2000 - 2006

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Final Progress Reports

Year:   2005 

In 2005 CEHN continued to focus its outreach projects and symposia on activities which expand the knowledge base of children’s exposure to toxic substances and to promote pediatric environmental health. The Core’s projects have been designed to bridge scientific information and community action, expanding the projects to communities most at need, including minority and economically disadvantaged children who experience the greatest disparity of environmental health risks.

CEHN continued implementation of the "Healthy Environments in Childcare" project. This project provides educational workshops and training materials designed to remove toxic exposures in early childhood care environments, ranging from indoor air and water quality to pesticide use reduction and use of non-toxic cleaning supplies and building materials. The primary efforts in 2005 have been to research and generate final training documents, presentation materials and curricula, for both distribution and web site availability. On site trainings will continue through 2006.

In March of 2005, CEHN's national program office provided education and outreach training to scientists though their Presentations on Children's Environmental Health Priorities. Executive Director Nsedu Obot Witherspoon co-authored an article in the December 2004 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives "Incorporating Environmental Health into Pediatric Medical and Nursing Education" with Leyla Erk McCurdy, James Roberts, Bonnie Rogers, Rebecca Love, Ruth Etzel, Jerome Paulson, Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, and Allen Dearry.

CEHN has continued to expand its outreach on children as a susceptible population by producing additional Fact Sheets on Children’s Environmental Health Issues, including Asthma, Air Quality, Pesticides, Environmental Toxicants, Lead, Indoor Mold, School IPM, and other related topics. Additional fact sheets have been translated into Spanish.

On October 1, 2005 CEHN participated in the Conference on Children's Health and the Environment in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Region III Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). CEHN staff participated in sessions ranging from Emerging issues in Children's Environmental Health, Childhood Obesity and the Environment, School Environmental Health problems, Asthma, Mold issues, Outcomes of Environmental Exposures, Risk Communication and the Resources of a Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU).

Another successful session of the Student Environmental Development Program (SEDP) Partnership program in Washington D.C. was administered by CEHN in July 2005. Middle school students, their parents, and neighborhood organizations received materials and classes in children’s environmental health hazards, with a focus on toxic wastes and other toxic substances. CEHN has continued its partnership with the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program. This partnership is a cooperative initiative with EPA to increase the scientific expertise in non-profit organizations involved in children's environmental health, including but not limited to chemical testing and evaluation programs.

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