Informed Communities: Environmental Health Initiative (JSI Research and Training Initiative)

The project assists residents of Dorchester, MA to access, understand, and apply environmental health information relevant to their neighborhoods. A train-the-trainer approach is used to build local expertise with NLM resources among those who can help promote outreach and information skills among the general public. The project works with several community-based organizations. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations in Dorchester, an inner city, under-served area that faces serious environmental health concerns. Dorchester is Boston's largest neighborhood with 15.6% of the city's total population. 27% of the residents are under the age of 18. 36% of the residents identify themselves as Black, 32% as White, 12% as Latino, 11% as Asian or Pacific Islander, and 10% as other race, multi-racial, or Native American.