December 20, 2018
The East Point Environmental Collective
East Point neighbors are concerned about the periodic chemical emissions of toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, penta, and creosote from nearby manufacturing...
The Community Engagement Core
The Community Engagement Core (CEC) collaborates with community partners using an exposome approach to seek environmental justice and improve health in the metro Atlanta area.
Guided by a commitment to anti-racism, we aim to:
Create conversations between the Atlanta community and HERCULES
Increase the capacity of local communities to address their environmental health concerns
Guide and support HERCULES scientists in community engagement
Our Approach
By developing partnerships and building capacity among community members and scientists, the CEC aims to incorporate community concerns into the long-term research efforts of HERCULES investigators.
To achieve these aims, we use the following approaches:
Partnerships
Our work relies on strong partnerships, especially with our Stakeholder Advisory Board. Our Board, which includes local residents, non-profits, and government agencies, guides CEC activities and ensures community concerns about environmental health issues are incorporated into HERCULES. We also support community-engaged research partnerships through the HERUCLES Pilot Program and by recognizing partners for their community engaged work.
Learn about our SAB and partnership work
Community Resources
We create and provide environmental health resources relevant to the local community, including summaries of environmental health research
Roadshow and Grant Program
We conduct workshops with local communities to share the exposome concept, identify communities’ exposome-related perspectives and concerns and include those perspectives in future exposome science. We then provide grants for communities to address those concerns.
Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR)
We support HERUCLES scientists who are interested in integrating community-engaged approaches into their research, facilitate community-scientist partnerships when appropriate, and prepare future scientists for community-engaged research.
Community Engagement Highlights
- Clarence “Shaheed” Dubois Community Grant Program highlighted in Emory’s Public Health Magazine
- Results of 2013/2014 Mini-Grant “Proctor Creek Watershed Watch: A Photovoice Project” presented at 2015 U.S. EPA Community Involvement Training Conference
- Proctor Creek Coalition January 2015 Meeting Updates
- Clarence “Shaheed” Dubois Community Grant Program
- CEC activities in the news!
- Atlanta Community Forum: Environment, Health and Action
Community Engagement Activities
Pollen, Asthma, and Emergency Department Visits
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core, in collaboration with the Stakeholder Advisory Board and HERCULES scientists, created the following infographic and 1-page plain-language summary of research...
Proctor Creek Community Health Survey
Research study conducted by Samantha Eiffert and colleagues, including HERCULES scientists Melanie Pearson and Andrea Winquist and community partner Dr. Yomi Noibi, about environmental exposures...
Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes
Research conducted by HERCULES scientists Lyndsey Darrow and Matt Strickland about air pollution and birth...
Pesticides in Residential Soil
Research conducted by HERCULES scientists P. Barry Ryan and Dana Barr about the amount and type of pesticides found in the soil of Atlanta...
The Mixture of Air Pollutants Across Atlanta, GA
Research conducted by John Pearce and HERCULES scientist(s) Paige Tolbert, Stefanie Sarnat, Lance Waller, and Howard Chang about the different mixtures of air pollutants across Atlanta,...
June 12, 2017
HERCULES Community Engagement in the News
Local NPR station WABE 90.1 airs a continuing series on Atlanta’s Proctor Creek on “Morning Edition.” HERCULES SAB members Na’Taki Osborne-Jelks and Tony Torrence can be...
January 28, 2017
The Natalia Casas Multicultural Mother’s Project
Latina residents of Norcross and Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County came together with Emory HERCULES in November 2017 to share their health...
January 28, 2017
The Peoplestown/Pittsburgh Accessible and Affordable Healthcare Team
Residents of the Peoplestown and Pittsburgh neighborhoods in Atlanta came together with Emory HERCULES in September 2017 to share their health concerns, learn about the exposome, and identify a...