(Taken from application) The Outreach Core will reach out to communities in New York City who are exposed to hazardous environmental chemicals and have potential for exposure to those toxins found in the Hudson River watershed. It will focus especially on inner-city, largely underserved communities whose disproportionate exposures to toxins are a manifestation of environmental injustice. The Core will open channels for bi-directional communication between Mount Sinai and the communities it serves. It will provide educational opportunities in environmental health sciences for community residents. It will disseminate and share the results of research through establishment of an internship program in environmental health sciences for journalism students. It will collaborate closely with our Community-Based Preventive Intervention Project. The initial partner communities who will work with us in this effort are located in East Harlem and the South Bronx, two of the most underserved and environmentally distressed communities in the nation. The main goal of the Mount Sinai Superfund Outreach Core is to establish a true lasting partnership and bi-directional communication with each of the communities that we serve and to provide community-based educational opportunities that lead to community self-empowerment and increased awareness of environmental hazards. To achieve this goal, we will pursue the following specific aims: 1)train community leaders in the environmental health sciences; 2) provide a permanent bridge of communication between the communities affected by the Superfund Program and Mount Sinai scientists; 3) provide and internship in environmental health sciences journalism. The effects of these outreach efforts will be evaluated by an independent entity, the New School for Social Research. We expect that these program will results in increased knowledge and understanding of issues related to environmental justice and health in underserved communities and thus to prevention of exposure and disease.
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