Project summary
Extension professionals are often viewed as trusted messengers, with a long history of bringing scientific, evidence-based knowledge and practices from university systems to communities across the country. As part of the Extension Foundation’s EXCITE national integration program, we are collaborating with the University of Arizona Extension to develop and pilot a new Foundations of Climate and Health curriculum, focused on advancing Extension professional expertise to address the health and well-being needs of communities in a changing climate, now and into the future. The program aims to:
- Build an understanding of regional climate trends
- Identify changes to the impacts of climate change on human health
- Demonstrate adaptive strategies to increase capacity and resilience for individuals and their communities
- Provide an evidence-based communications toolkit to assist interactions with community members
The curriculum will include a detailed guide and sample agendas for instructors describing ways to incorporate climate impacts on health and increasing adaptation and resilience in emerging and existing Extension programs. This will serve as a roadmap for educators to include climate data, activities related to climate impacts on health, resilience and adaptation strategies for health, navigating mis- and disinformation, and reducing vaccination hesitancy.
Project Partners
University of Arizona Extension
University of Minnesota School of Nursing