Grantee Research Project Results
2024 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 May 2, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2023 through August 31,2024
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: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , Human Health
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 education specialist at MPS led 22 Milwaukee Public Schools educators through the first cohort of the climate health equity curriculum from January through May 2024. The diverse group of educators took pre and post surveys which demonstrated significant increases in environmental health literacy and climate change related hope, and significant decreases in unawareness of racial privilege and institutional discrimination.
Objective 2: Data collection (surveys, GPS for students, environmental data) was completed at 5 MPS schools prior to schoolyard greening (cohort 2), and at 4 MPS schools after schoolyard greening (cohort 1). Data was collected during 5 full school days for each of the schools. Data processing is underway in preparation for data analysis.
Future Activities:
Objective 1: Two additional cohorts of educators will participate in the climate health equity curriculum during the ’24-’25 school year, including 20-30 educators in each cohort. Participants will complete surveys before and after the curriculum.
Objective 2: During the spring of 2025, we will complete data collection with “post-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 according to proposed hypotheses.
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; greenspaceProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.