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Science-Based Decision Tools to Support Campus-Community Partnerships..
Citation:
Zambrana, J. Science-Based Decision Tools to Support Campus-Community Partnerships.. 2019 California Higher Education Collaboration Conference (CHEC) - Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Workshop, Los Angeles, California, October 01, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Local governments are at the forefront of addressing environmental and health challenges, but often lack the capacity to move projects forwards; this capacity is abundant and available at local universities through professors and students looking to apply their learning to on-the-ground priority community issues. EPA has been helping convene local governments and campuses interested in forging sustainability partnerships, particularly in California in collaboration with EPA Region 9. Several in California have been started using the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) Framework. EPA Region 9 has been working with the Chancellor’s Office of the California State University (CSU) System to explore opportunities to share more widely campus-community partners. The CSU Chancellor’s office is sponsoring an EPIC workshop at the 2019 California Higher Education Collaborative Conference to provide training on the model to interested California university staff and professors, and municipal administrators. This conference, with a theme of New Opportunities – Common Challenges, convenes administrative leaders and professionals from the three segments of California public higher education, to encourage the exchange of ideas and practices, which may improve administrative performance, service, and outcomes. It also presents an opportunity for EPA to disseminate and share its resources, information, and science-based tools that can be used to advance campus-community efforts to address environmental challenges while also benefiting the economy and well-being. The connection of these partnerships, the EPIC framework, and EPA’s science-based tools will be of interest to regional staff, local communities, academia, and the general public.
Description:
Decision makers at all levels of government face challenges in protecting human health and the environment – in particular, gaining access to the latest scientific findings that can bolster the foundation of those decisions. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) aims to provide resources, methods, and tools that decision makers can use in the areas of air and energy, chemical safety, water resources, health and resilient communities, homeland security, and risk assessment. This presentation will highlight EPA science-based tools that can augment the projects of EPIC partnerships. Highlighted tools include the EnviroAtlas, the Materials Management Wizard, the Green Infrastructure Wizard, The National Stormwater Calculator, the Smoke Sense app, the Village Green, and the Air Sensor Toolbox.