A Novel Statewide Network-Based Environmental Justice and Climate Change Advocacy Training Program for Future Health Leaders

Abstract

The climate crisis is an existential threat that has disparate adverse health impacts on low-income and communities of color. Effective solutions require innovative tools to promote interdisciplinary training for future health leaders, yet these topics are often omitted from traditional medical school curricula. The New York State Children’s Environmental Health Centers (NYSCHECK), a network of seven medical centers, community partners, and stakeholders, is the first statewide model to address this critical need. Since 2021, we have offered a free, virtual summer program for high school, college, medical/graduate, and postgraduate students. This innovative teaching tool, the NYSCHECK Summer Academy (NSA), is a novel collaborative training program that prioritizes student-led environmental health (EH) and climate justice advocacy. We provide learners at multiple stages of training with tools to better understand the impact of climate change (CC) on community health and strategies to advocate for change. Over the past 4 years, with feedback from students and partners, we refined the NSA curriculum to incorporate principles of public health and EJ that promote effective strategies and solutions for addressing climate-related health threats such as asthma, extreme heat, and insect-borne disease. Following completion of our program, trainees report a significantly greater sense of empowerment and self-efficacy and increased knowledge of key EH and EJ principles. This training program is a replicable tool that can be adapted for diverse audiences to develop foundational skills and advocacy tools necessary to tackle EH and CC impacts on EJ communities statewide and beyond.