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 infographics and 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.
Current and past grant programs
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 Core Services
Community Engagement Highlights
Read our Community Engagement Core publications here.
- 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
Happy 50th Earth Day!
While we know that Earth Day is EVERYDAY, it is nice, on this day, to take some time out from our everyday busy schedules to reflect on our environment. Below are some ideas and events that partners...
First Two Communities Complete Exposome Roadshow Program
The two communities that entered our Clarence Shaheed Dubois Exposome Roadshow and Community Grant Program in its inaugural year completed the 3 year program on March 31, 2020! Each community came...
Everyday Chemicals in your Exposome: DIY Personal Care Alternatives!
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core, with guidance from the Stakeholder Advisory Board and HERCULES scientists, created the following infographic series about everyday chemicals found in our...
Chapel Hill Organization
Residents of the Chapel Hill community in Dekalb County are concerned about the environmental health impacts of their close proximity to Snapfinger Creek Water Treatment Plant, the Seminole landfill,...
The City of South Fulton Community
Community members of the City of South Fulton are concerned about the environmental health impacts of significant industrial development and an unregulated landfill in their community and neighboring...
Everyday Chemicals in your Exposome: Phthalates and BPA/BPS
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core created an infographic series about everyday chemicals found in our exposomes. This infographic focuses on the common toxicants found in our...
Soil Contamination and Community Gardeners’ Behavior
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core, with guidance from the Stakeholder Advisory Board and HERCULES scientists , created the following infographic and 1-page plain-language summary of research...
OC Pesticides and Neurological Disease in Costa Rica
1-page plain-language summary of research conducted by HERCULES scientists Kyle Steenland and Dana Barr and others about the relationship between OC pesticide exposure and neurological disease in...