The COEP basic objectives are: (1) to educate the public in understanding environmental health sciences; (2) to identify and assist community-based efforts to address environmental health problems; (3) to inform the public of significant findings made by Center and other scientists in environmental health; (4) to serve as a community resource; (5) to build a COEP network to achieve the above goals; and (6) to design and implement an effective evaluation plan for the COEP. These goals represent an important mission for the Center and University, which is located in an intensively farmed area where pesticides are heavily used. The targeted audience of the COEP is the California Central Valley, from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys to Bakersfield. Large populations of farm workers live and work in the area, as do a mix of urban, suburban, and rural populations. Air quality is some of the worst in the nation, and land and water resources are threatened with overuse and contamination. The COEP has identified clear plans for future work, including (1) more aggressive outreach to the non-university community, including a needs-assessment; (2) development of an External Advisory Board specifically for the COEP; (3) development of collaborative research projects with community groups; (4) expansion of their web site; (5) creation of an exhibit/poster for each Core for public events; and (6) an increase media presence.
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