Colorado School of Public Health Team Completes Phase I of Community Engaged Project

The Mountain West Hub has completed Phase I of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded project designed to engage residents in Colorado’s rural San Luis Valley and urban neighborhoods of West Denver in learning about and identifying strategies to address environmental stressors such as wildfires, poor air quality, extreme heat, and drought.  

The team, led by Carol Brown, Katie Dickinson, Kathy James, and Craig Kapral spent the past two years working with partners in the San Luis Valley and West Denver to better understand the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of residents related to increasingly common environmental threats. This work has resulted in several co-created products that will help researchers, scientists, policymakers, and community groups work to make communities healthier and stronger in the face of environmental stressors commonly experienced in the Mountain West.  

Key products resulting from the team’s work include: 

1. Community Voices Volume I.  Through 33 interviews with advisory board members representing the San Luis Valley, West Denver, science, and policy sectors, the team identified local knowledge and opportunities for action to address environmental stressors. 
   
   
2. Educational Modules. Accessible, evidence-based online tools provide practical information about wildfires, poor air quality, drought, and extreme heat. 
   
   
3. San Luis Valley Conversation Materials. Print and digital resources designed by local partners to support discussion and learning among agricultural workers, older adults, youth, and other 
   community members. 
   
   
4. West Denver Conversations Guide. Developed with the West Denver Community Advisory Board to help residents talk about environmental concerns and take steps toward creating healthier neighborhoods. 
   
   
5. Mountain West Summary Report. A regional report that includes: 
   
   - A review of current literature addressing environmental stressors, health, and successful interventions across the Mountain West
   - Results from The Attitudes and Behaviors Surveys (TABS) on Health about how Coloradans perceive their health is impacted by environmental stressors
   - A directory of publicly available data sources to support planning and decision-making
   
   
6. Community Voices Volume II: Video Series (Coming Soon!). A digital storytelling series featuring firsthand accounts from San Luis Valley and West Denver residents describing how they are navigating environmental pressures and creating solutions. 

Phase I work is funded by NIH Agreement (OT2HL158287) through the Alliance for Community Engagement for Climate and Health. The team was invited by NIH to apply for Phase II funding which will support intervention research designed to test the effectiveness of strategies to mitigate or reduce the impact of environmental stressors on human health. A funding decision is pending.  

Learn more about the work of the Mountain West Hub at https://www.mw-climatehealth.com.  

Photos of our San Luis Valley and West Denver partners who made this work possible. 

About the Centers for Health, Work & Environment

The Centers for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) educates and trains future leaders, conducts research, and designs and implements practical solutions to occupational safety and health challenges. CHWE collaborates with faculty, students, and community partners to advance worker health, safety, and well-being. Part of the Colorado School of Public Health, it is home to one of 10 nationwide Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health^®, the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC), and the Climate Impacts on Worker Health & Safety (CIWHS) Center. CHWE is located at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. 

About the Colorado School of Public Health 

The Colorado School of Public Health is the first and only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain Region, attracting top-tier faculty and students from across the country and providing a vital contribution towards ensuring our region’s health and well-being. Collaboratively formed in 2008 by the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado, the Colorado School of Public Health provides training, innovative research, and community service to actively address public health issues, including chronic disease, access to health care, environmental threats, emerging infectious diseases, and costly injuries. For more information about ColoradoSPH, please visit https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu