Lessons from the Environmental Health Research-to-Action Academy

The Problem: Southeast Dearborn, Michigan, is home to a predominantly Arab American community facing environmental health inequities due to multiple pollution sources and discriminatory zoning decisions—environmental injustices that have also impacted nearby communities in Metro Detroit for decades. More work is needed to integrate science and advocacy efforts to address these longstanding environmental injustices, and we see opportunities to do this with youth. Key Points: Developed in 2018, the Environmental Health Research-to-Action (EHRA) academy was designed by a team of community and academic partners in Dearborn to engage high school youth in high-impact active learning opportunities with a variety of experts involved in community science, academic research, community organizing, regulation, policymaking, and law. The academy consists of 8–10 sessions during summer that include practice conducting air and water monitoring, use of existing data and mapping tools, storytelling, and power mapping for policy advocacy. In this practice brief, we introduce design, implementation, evaluation, and impacts of the EHRA academy. We report on pre- and post-academy surveys for five cohorts, as well as follow-up surveys with a subset of alumni. We offer highlights from EHRA as a working model that is building capacity to effectively address environmental injustice. Conclusions: Although EHRA remains deeply rooted in Dearborn, in support of a predominately Middle Eastern and North African community experiencing environmental injustice, it has become an intergenerational, multiracial, and cross-cultural network with a shared goal of environmental justice throughout Metro Detroit. EHRA-like programs can provide opportunities often not offered in K-12 curriculum to practice community science and advocacy in an integrated way. To inform policy solutions, we can support youth in using existing data, collecting their own data, and sharing their experiences living fenceline to cumulative exposures.