Environmental Health Program
Highlighting upstream solutions to protect children, climate, and health.
The Environmental Health Program at the CEEE highlights upstream solutions that protect children, climate, and health, as well as raises awareness about the link between harmful chemicals and their impacts to both people and climate. Our initiatives focus on community practices and state strategies that significantly reduce Iowan’s exposure to common hazardous pollutants. We work with school boards, grounds staff, park managers, child care centers, our network of Local Champions, and others to significantly reduce pesticide use in public spaces. We also coordinate with state organizations and national partners to highlight the practical, land-based farming solutions that build soil, improve water quality, reduce (and in some cases eliminate) pesticide application, strengthen Iowa’s economy, and improve biodiversity - all without impacting long-term agricultural profitability.
Environmental Health Student Symposium
The Environmental Health Student Symposium is an opportunity for students to learn about environmental health topics and engage with experts in the environmental health field.
This symposium is open to all college students in Iowa who are studying, working on, or interested in environmental health topics. Along with featuring invited experts in the field and roundtable networking for students to explore environmental health-related careers, students have the opportunity to present their academic and/or internship work relating to environmental health.
Environmental Health Mini Grant
UNI CEEE’s Environmental Health Program is offering mini grants of up to $5,000 per project. These mini grants are available to UNI faculty, staff, and students who engage in high-impact projects in coordination with CEEE staff that demonstrate the environment’s connection to public health, upstream solutions to downstream harms, and/or implementing the Precautionary Principle in community environmental health initiatives.
Grants can support student experiences in class or through a student organization, research or community projects, trips or travel, honoraria for invited guest speakers for a class or an on-campus event, or perhaps even help establish a new environmental health campaign led by UNI students (Like this one - Good Neighbor Iowa).
Good Neighbor Iowa
Good Neighbor Iowa aims to reduce unnecessary urban pesticide use and to transform lawn culture to encourage appreciation of diverse lawns as a way to protect child health, water quality, pets, pollinators, and biodiversity. Good Neighbor Iowa is a state-wide public health initiative.
Farming for Public Health
A statewide initiative to build more understanding among healthcare providers and public health professionals about agricultural strategies that solve for a pattern of soil health, clean water, biodiversity, conservation, healthy food, rural economic vitality - collectively, public health.
Climate, Toxics, and Health
Many chemicals found in our everyday life are known to impact hormone functioning in our bodies. These chemicals are called Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, or EDCs. The Endocrine Society describes the broad impact of these chemicals as “profound and life threatening.” Learn how you can detoxify your life and reduce your carbon footprint!