Capacity Building Projects

The University of Rochester Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) Community Engagement Core (CEC) works with community partners to develop science-based solutions to environmental problems. Strong community partnerships are essential to generate, transmit, and use science to help solve environmental health problems. The CEC is continuing the Capacity Building Project program in 2025 to provide funding for local organizations to grow their engagement in environmental health. The EHSC will provide up to $10,000 for one or two Capacity Building Projects in 2025. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Projects should address issues of environmental health disparities in the greater Rochester region. Our overall goals are to build community capacity to address local environmental health problems and identify opportunities for future partnerships with the EHSC.

Questions? Review the information from our December 2023 webinar or contact Rebecca_Lauzon@urmc.rochester.edu for a copy of the Zoom recording.

Past Projects

2023 – Climate Action Days, Rochester Museum and Science Center

The Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC) hosted 2 days of school group visits for climate-action themed programming and an additional 2 days of related public programming, including both in-house and community group presenters. CEC and RMSC staff jointly identified air and health as a topic of interest for additional partnering, including training floor staff on air sensors, installing a PurpleAir sensor at RMSC, and a public lecture by an EHSC researcher on air quality, climate change, and health. Since project completion, RMSC has continued to build their capacity in this area by joining the EHSC Community Advisory Board and creating a new science encounter around air sensors that is integrated into programming on climate, air quality, and health.

2022 – Tree Canopy Initiative, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County (CCE) partnered with the Marketview Heights Neighborhood Association and City of Rochester Forestry Division to canvass households in a neighborhood with interest in expanding its limited tree canopy. Informed by urban forestry initiatives in other cities, CCE and community volunteers surveyed residents and identified 30 locations for planting new trees with community buy-in. Throughout this process, CCE built their connections with the community, city, and other stakeholders interested in promoting urban forestry in Rochester. Since project completion, they have continued to build their capacity in this area by developing a K-12 tree education curriculum, grant proposals to sustain related work, and serving on the advisory committee to update the City of Rochester’s Urban Forestry Plan.