The 2026 workshop registration will open on Monday, January 5th! Please email herculesexposome@emory.edu if you have any questions or would like to be included on the outreach for registration.

Session 1 Topics:
  • Overview of using data to address community concerns
  • Orienting to environmental and community data
  • Types of available data
Session 2 Topics:
  • Identifying relevant census tracts
  • How to create and customize a map using data.census.gov
  • How to access and identify relevant neighborhood data
Session 3 Topics:
  • Accessing and mapping environmental health data
  • Understanding “percentiles”
Session 4 Topics:
  • EH related agencies (who they are, what they do)
  • Laws related to specific concerns
  • Rights as community scientists
  • Opportunities to be involved in legal process (especially with data)
  • Data requests
Session 4.5 Topics:
  • Exploring publicly available datasets with TA assistance
Session 5 Topics:
  • Presenting your data plan
  • Discussing and identifying next steps for your community
  • Connect with other community members in the program

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the connections between environmental health and community health
  • Understand what “publicly available data” are, and why these datasets exists (e.g., monitoring, regulatory use)
  • Recognize how data can inform community concerns
  • Describe the different types of data required to answer different kinds of research questions
  • Begin working towards a detailed and achievable data plan to address their environmental health concern (through session 5)
  • Become familiar with Census Data, including mapping census tracts relevant to community
  • Identify challenges around data mapping (ex: limitations of data)
  • Build capacity to independently access and interpret American Community Survey data through Census Reporter
  • Connect key demographic indicators (e.g., poverty, housing, education, age, race) to their environmental health question (Sessions 2 and 3)
  • Continue to expand on mapping skills that include environmental health data
  • Identify how environmental health data can affect quality of life based on geographic location
  • Understand the use of “percentiles” in data
  • Identify the laws/regulations and agencies that are relevant to their specific EH concern
  • Locate forms or resources for requesting data or contacting government officials
  • Recognize the importance of data validity for different goals and discuss requirements for community-specific goals (standards of evidence)
  • Identify opportunities to use data to support community efforts
  • Identify and locate a publicly available dataset independently
  • Become comfortable exploring publicly available datasets, where to find them, and what they can offer
  • Share and communicate with non-technical audience what was learned during the data workshop series
  • Identify a path forward in how this data may be helpful for the community