Preface:

Where we live impacts our health. In Philadelphia, air pollution causes heart attacks and asthma, our rivers are too polluted to swim in and more than 1000 children are lead-poisoned every year. By 2050, parts of Philadelphia where people now live are projected to be regularly under water due to climate change. In order to live safely and participate in the political process to improve the environmental health in communities, citizens need actionable information as part of their education. In this seminar, we explored four areas of risk to our environmental health: climate change, air quality, water quality, and lead exposure. They were presented in a sequential way so that participants can focus on one topic at a time and develop a unit of study focusing on one topic or several. We linked students to resources and experts for curriculum building and sources to bring into the classroom for demonstration and enrichment. Strategies for effective communication with City Council members, Department of Environmental Protection regulators and legislators were included.