Objective: Dearborn Environmental Health Research to Action (EHRA) is a community-based research program that addresses residents’ environmental health concerns in Southeast Dearborn, primarily through engagement with youth. Air pollution from cumulative exposures contributes to health disparities in this community, which is predominantly comprised of Yemeni American residents and where approximately 47% of the population is under 18 years old. We present design and assessment of an environmental health and justice youth academy (16-18 years old) delivered during summers 2018 and 2019.

Methods: Community, academic, government, faith-based, and health care representatives comprise the EHRA steering committee. They designed the academy, which prepares fellows with basic knowledge and skills in environmental health-related epidemiology, monitoring, policy, and literacy, as well as policy advocacy skills. Fellows participate in community science with handheld air sensors and participatory mapping and generate risk communication products to share local environmental health concerns with diverse audiences in their community. Over the course of six day-long sessions, fellows complete pre-, post- and daily assessment surveys to assess: program satisfaction, career plans, and change in knowledge, skills, and civic engagement behaviors.

Findings: Fellows reported an overall positive experience and feedback on the academy’s interactive pedagogy, refinement of career goals, and marked increases in related knowledge of environmental health science and policymaking. Findings from summer 2018 informed programming in 2019, in which participatory mapping and a formal mentor program was added. Fellows have since presented lessons learned at community and statewide forms and are preparing materials for social media, including a series of YouTube videos.

Conclusions: Health inequities are well documented in the U.S., but little attention is given to potentially disproportionate environmental health exposures experienced among Arab American communities. Further, while much environmental justice research and organizing is conducted by and with youth across the country, few have published effective models.