Environmental Justice Champions: Working Together to Address the Climate Crisis

Enrollment for summer 2024 is now open!

Application Deadline: March 30, 2024

Overview

The NYSCHECK Summer Academy is an 8-week part-time virtual training program designed for blended levels of students to engage in creative and critical thinking to BE the CHANGE in children’s environmental health. This course is an opportunity for high school, college, graduate, and medical school students to lay the groundwork and develop the necessary skillset to become the next generation of environmental health leaders. 

This Summer Academy allows students to develop a strong foundation in the health implications of climate change through an innovative curriculum unique to this program. Students will collaborate across sites and across educational background to work in teams on climate change advocacy projects tied to clinical pathways of environmental exposures. 

Join us to learn about environmental health and work with a team to develop your own advocacy skills and BE the CHANGE for the future.

Using the pedagogy of self-directed learning and a team-based approach, students will:

  • Learn about the fundamentals of environmental and public health. 
  • Learn best practices to communicate complex environmental health topics and risks to diverse stakeholders (e.g. legislators, patients, youth, frontline communities, clinicians etc).
  • Work in teams to design innovative advocacy projects with a focus on climate change and health. 
  • Learn how to apply environmental health advocacy to the generation of scholarly products.
  • Understand the importance of interprofessional teamwork and academic-community partnerships.

Program Requirements

The 2024 Summer Academy will be held during June 3 – July 24, 2024.

Students will: 

  • Attend two interactive Zoom sessions per week consisting of: 
    • Interactive discussion of key topics in environmental health
    • Small-group climate and health advocacy project updates
    • Team-building exercises. 
  • Participate in weekly small group virtual sessions and independent work focused on advocacy projects related to climate change and health. 
  • Complete weekly self-guided, self-assessed reading and assignments designed to supplement didactic training and increase engagement and interaction between students and faculty.

Past Student Advocacy Testimonials

Summer Academy Course Directors:

Amy Brown, MD, MBE

Sandra Jee, MD, MPH

Cappy Collins, MD, MPH

Sarah Evans, PhD, MPH

Melanie Gabrell
HBCAC