Working against the clock: Protecting children's health, safety, and their futures

The most vulnerable children are those with exposures to multiple environmental health burdens living in low-income communities, who have had no choice but to rely on the willingness and ability of communities to stand up for their protections. Yet, for so many children of color and those living in or close to poverty, they are still waiting to receive the protections from exposure to lead paint, harmful pesticides, and asthma inducing air toxins that are prevalent in their schools, homes, parks, and overall communities. Community-academic partnerships have demonstrated potential for improving community and environmental health. This session will present on the evolution, research and policy processes and outcomes of a community-based participatory research partnership that has had multi-level impacts on health policy concerning diesel emissions, healthy homes and related environmental justice issues. The partnership between WE ACT and the Columbia Mailman's Center for Children's Environmental Health and the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan is discussed. The presentation will address tools such as creating strong alliances, building government accountability, developing high-level policy processes, and embedding evaluation and outcomes into government's strategies, goals and tactics.