Community Engagement Core

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE The Health-First Climate Action Research Center seeks to catalyze rigorous, innovative, community-driven, policy-relevant, interdisciplinary research on health and equity impacts of specific energy choices as the U.S. strives to reach a low-carbon energy transition. In support of this objective, the goal of the Community Engagement Core (CEC) is to ensure that Milwaukee communities most impacted by energy choices and climate change, as well as community-based organizations that promote environmental justice, exert a meaningful, long- term influence on the development and direction of the Center and benefit from its research, policy engagement and capacity building activities. The CEC draws upon existing strengths and partnerships, a set of core values and effective and innovative community engagement strategies to accomplish this goal. Specific Aims are: (1) Establish and build power with an active Community Advisory Board (CAB) to ensure that Center priorities, activities and investments align with and are responsive to community goals for climate action and health equity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (2) Build the Center’s capacity in community engaged data science to engage new audiences, leverage community-generated knowledge and data, and utilize innovative technologies and communication strategies to maximize the potential impact for community-driven climate policy solutions, (3) Establish multidirectional communication among Center researchers and communities most impacted by energy choices and climate change to ensure that Center research is strongly aligned with community priorities and research findings are effectively communicated to diverse audiences, and (4) Evaluate the Center’s community engagement activities to ensure that power is balanced between community and academic partners, that necessary course corrections and new directions are implemented expediently, and that community engagement processes and outcomes meet established metrics for authentic, reciprocal community-academic partnerships. The vision of the CEC is a Center where community and academic partners share influence and benefit to achieve common goals of climate change mitigation and reduction of local environmental health inequities. If the proposed aims are achieved, we anticipate realizing this vision and maximizing the positive impact of this new Center for Milwaukee communities long impacted by environmental injustice.