Community Engagement Core

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE SUMMARY The overarching goal of the CEC is to align the research practices of the Cincinnati Climate Change and Health Research Center with the diverse climate change-related needs of our community members and organizations. Through authentic connections and innovative approaches, this Core will identify and promote community-

supported strategies for health resilience in the populations that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The CEC recognizes the expertise of community members and academics and is guided by an asset- rather than deficit-based approach to community engagement. The aims of this core are three-fold: 1) to engage

diverse regional organizations and marginalized communities in order to understand their perceptions of the health concerns related to climate change and their climate resilience; 2) to facilitate and support community- academic collaborations; and 3) to optimize multidirectional science communication between the center and the

public. These aims and approaches will enable the overall efforts of the Cincinnati Climate Change and Health Research Center (C3HRC) including the Center’s Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives and academic- community collaborations on climate change. The co-Directors of this Core are deeply experienced in

complementary community engagement work. Their efforts will be enriched by the inclusion of two major community-based non-profit organizations dedicated to climate and environmental justice, and a cadre of academics from three institutions that have a history of environmental research and community engagement.

Under aim 1, a Community Advisory Board (CAB) will be created that brings together this wealth of capacity, inclusive of new partners, to create a strategic plan for engagement and outreach that links the efforts of community groups and academics, and identifies the climate change and health-related needs perceived by the

community. Under aim 2, this Core will enact, in collaboration with the Development Core, a Grassroots Awards program that provides grants for community-led projects that engage academic partners (awards will range from $2000-$5000 each). And under aim 3, this Core will enact a hub for multidirectional science communication

linking the center and the public. That will include training for students and academics in community engagement, “climate cafes” that enable relaxed presentation and discussion of scientific research on climate change and health with interested community members, and review and feedback from CEC academic and community

members on proposed scientific communications from the Center and its members to ensure that scientific communications are clear and useful for community organizations and members. This Core has key responsibilities to the success of the overall center. -