The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research’s Health DATA Program will soon offer specialized trainings and other activities for select Los Angeles community groups as a result of a new $1 million, two-year American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funded through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. 

The grant supports the development of a “train-the-trainer” project designed to build the capacity of a broad network of environmental education and advocacy organizations that work with communities of color, low-income neighborhoods and immigrant populations in two areas of Los Angeles particularly affected by pollution and other environmental concerns: Boyle Heights and Long Beach. 

The project – entitled the Assessment of Local Environmental Risk Training (ALERT) – will also recruit and build the capacity of scientific health and environmental researchers to engage directly with these communities.

Specifically, community-based organizations and researchers will be trained in how to understand and use basic health and environmental data, including data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).  They will then use this training to develop Environmental Health Action Plans (EHAP) to encourage and address local policies to reduce disparities related to air quality and its impact on community health.  Finally, researchers, in partnership with community groups, can apply to receive funding for pilot projects related to environmental topics identified during the EHAP process.

Launched Oct. 1, ALERT will be implemented in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, The Children's Clinic of Long Beach and the East Los Angeles Community Corp of Boyle Heights. 

The project will be managed by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research's popular community training public service program, Health DATA.  Health DATA already provides a range of data training programs to help community groups, policymakers, activists and others better understand and use health data in their work.  Learn more about the types of trainings offered by Health DATA.