Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Leveraging a Public School District and Schoolyard Spaces to Confront Climate Health Inequities in a Low-Income, Urban Community of Color
EPA Grant Number: R840486Title: Leveraging a Public School District and Schoolyard Spaces to Confront Climate Health Inequities in a Low-Income, Urban Community of Color
Investigators: Beyer, Kirsten
Institution: Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee Public Schools
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2022 through August 31,2023
Project Amount: $1,349,999
RFA: Cumulative Health Impacts at the Intersection of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerable Populations/Lifestages: Community-Based Research for Solutions (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Environmental Justice
Objective:
The goal of our study is to leverage the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) district personnel and facilities to generate scientific and community knowledge to build community resilience and reduce climate health inequities in Milwaukee and beyond. To achieve this goal, we propose two key objectives: (1) Engage MPS students, staff and families in a climate change and health curriculum and dialogue focused on the health impacts of global climate change, including in Milwaukee, and how MPS students, staff and families can support implementation of the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan in order to safeguard community health, and (2) Quantify the impact of MPS schoolyard greening as an effective community-based solution to mitigate climate impacts on heat exposure, air pollution, educational engagement and achievement, and mental/emotional health and well-being.
Progress Summary:
Objective 1: Our climate justice curriculum specialist at MPS, with support from the study team, has created an outline and lesson plan for the 10-module climate change and health curriculum. Slide sets and associated activities are being developed, and evaluation tools and recruitment materials have been developed and will be approved soon. MPS teachers will soon be recruited to be trained using this new curriculum and pre/post training assessments will be completed.
Objective 2: Data collection (surveys, GPS for students, environmental data) was completed at 4 different MPS schools prior to their schoolyard greening redevelopments (cohort 1). Data was collected during 5 full school days for each of the 4 schools. Data entry and processing are underway and preliminary data analysis has begun to summarize the data from this cohort.
Future Activities:
Objective 1: Our climate justice curriculum specialist at MPS will recruit a maximum of 30 teachers to participate in the curriculum during 2024. The teachers will provide informed consent and complete pre and post surveys as part of their participation. The first session of the curriculum is planned for mid-January 2024 and sessions will run through May 2024. Additional sessions will follow.
Objective 2: During the spring of 2024, we will proceed with "post-greening" data collection for cohort 1, and "pre-greening" data collection for cohort 2, including collection of environmental, GPS, and survey data. We will quality check, process and analyze data to examine spatial patterns and pre/post greening changes.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), pediatric, particulate matter, social-emotional learning, impervious surface, urban heat island, depression, anxiety, heat index, air quality index, urban nature, urban forestry, Environmental Justice, schools, children, greenspaceThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.