EHLR Basic Training Evaluation: Classroom and Conference Face- to-Face Learning ATSDR and NEHA evaluated both modali- ties of the EHLR Basic Training, which will be discussed in detail in our second article in this series. Essentially, the evaluation of par- ticipant feedback, knowledge assessments, and a long-term follow-up survey indicated that participants wanted more hands-on practice with the tools presented in the first three modules. In response, by early 2022 we developed the EHLR Immersion Training, which provides expanded instruction and hands-on practice in: 1.Community Engagement: 8 hr/8 continu- ing education units (CEUs) 2.Evaluating Environmental and Health Risks: 8 hr/8 CEUs 3.Communicating Environmental and Health Risks (Risk Communication): 4 hr/4 CEUs Training Summary As shown in Figure 1, from June 2019 to August 2022, ATSDR and NEHA delivered 10 EHLR Classroom Basic Trainings, launched the EHLR Online Basic Training, and piloted two di erent EHLR Immersion Trainings. Not shown are two additional EHLR Immer- sion pilots launched in March and July 2023, which occurred after we drafted this article. Our participants included science, technol- ogy, engineering, and math (STEM) students from Diné College who were in a Summer Intern Program (SIP); tribal environmental professionals; NEHA members in environ- mental health careers; and environmental professionals, students, and community members who were engaged in environmen- tal work or environmental justice. The EHLR Basic Trainings were virtual and live and also asynchronous and online. The EHLR Immersion Training was designed for live, in-person delivery. Pandemic disrup- tions necessitated some hybrid instruction during the first pilot of EHLR Immersion, but the class was able to come together for much of the training in person. The subsequent pilots were in-person iterations.
nity concerns about contamination and the negative health e ects associated with land reuse sites. Environmental health profes- sionals, however, might need specialized training to evaluate, communicate, and miti- gate risks related to land reuse. According to the National Association of County and City Health Ocials (2017), 17% of local health departments report working on land use issues, but only 3% report working on land remediation. To assess the baseline capacity for local environmental health professionals to address environmental and land reuse issues, the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) surveyed its members over 6 weeks beginning in May and extending into June 2016. Based on 92 responses, NEHA con- cluded that “among local health department (LHD) respondents who indicated working on land reuse/brownfields issues, almost 75% indicated having either no formal education (e.g., college-level classes) or only continu- ing education courses related to land reuse/ brownfields” (Berman et al., 2019). In 2018, ATSDR and NEHA began to draw on their extensive environmental health training capabilities to fill gaps for environ- mental health professionals to work on land reuse. This e ort resulted in the Environmen- tal Health and Land Reuse (EHLR) Certifi- cate Trainings, which currently are the EHLR Basic Training (10-hr short course) and the EHLR Immersion Training (three longer, immersive courses). EHLR Training Development To launch the training collaboration with NEHA, ATSDR developed an EHLR training concept based on its 5-step Land Reuse Model: 1.Engaging With Your Community 2. Evaluating Environmental and Health Risks 3.Communicating Environmental and Health Risks 4.Redesigning With Health in Mind 5.Measuring Success: Evaluating Environ- mental and Health Change In early 2019, ATSDR and NEHA co-cre- ated two modalities of the EHLR Basic Train- ing consisting of a classroom (live or virtual live) training and an asynchronous online training. These two courses were designed for environmental and health profession- als, planners, and students in environmental science, public health, and planning. The
course modalities are maintained by ATSDR (www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brownfields/class room_training.html) and by NEHA (www. neha.org/ehlr-certificate). A participant is eligible for a certificate of completion from NEHA after completing any of the five training modules. To become fully certified in EHLR, however, the participant must complete all five modules. ATSDR and NEHA supplemented the training with a free textbook/community resource written by the Brownfields & Reuse Opportunity Working Network (BROWN) called Land Reuse and Redevelopment: Creating Healthy Communities (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry [ATSDR], 2020; Berman, 2020). EHLR Basic Training: Classroom and Online Modalities In 2019, ATSDR conducted two in-person pilots of the EHLR Classroom Basic Training. Participants included environmental profes- sionals, environmental health profession- als, and university students at undergraduate and graduate levels. The same year, a small cohort of environmental professionals piloted the asynchronous online course to provide completion times that informed the amount of continuing education units issued. Trainees provided feedback on both courses regarding content, cogency, and flow. ATSDR and NEHA revised and finalized the EHLR Basic Train- ing in both the classroom and asynchronous online modalities. NEHA then launched the asynchronous online course in fall 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated virtual delivery of the EHLR Basic Training. This change meant overcoming the chal- lenges of shifting from in-person to virtual delivery. For example, participants in the EHLR classroom setting engaged in a vari- ety of interactive exercises, such as using community engagement tools and role- playing to identify activities involved in Phase I (information gathering on past uses of brownfields) and Phase II (determination of presence of contamination) environmen- tal site assessments. In addition, the ATSDR and NEHA teams were working from home oces full-time for the first training, which was an adjustment. Regardless, we contin- ued to provide opportunities for environ- mental health professionals to meet their continuing education requirements and increase their land reuse expertise.
Diné College STEM Summer Intern Trainings
The pandemic disrupted the normal 2020 and 2021 Diné College SIP fieldwork courses.
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June 2024 • Journal of Environmental Health
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