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Climate and Health Coalition lead by Dr. Sarah Walters, in collaboration with A Seat at the Table

On May 22, 2025, Eastern Connecticut State University, with support from the AAUP Faculty Development Grant and in collaboration with A Seat at the Table, hosted a half-day workshop to foster climate resilience and advance health equity in the region. The event brought together 16 local and state organizations, community leaders, and faculty from Eastern, focusing on shared climate justice and public health challenges. Participants engaged in discussions about ongoing initiatives, strengths, and challenges, developing insights for future collaborations.A key outcome was a community-informed needs assessment highlighting priorities for climate and health work, including the importance of sustained partnerships, accessible data, and community leadership. Stakeholders called for the creation of a local climate and health equity coalition, the development of student-community partnerships, and increased outreach to underrepresented groups. This workshop strengthened Eastern’s community ties and set the stage for a co-created, project-based learning component in the Fall 2026 PBH436: Climate Justice and Public Health course, providing students with applied, real-world experiences. The initiative also created opportunities for future research collaborations and curriculum development, establishing a foundation for long-term, community-engaged scholarship on climate and health equity in Connecticut.

Faculty Development: The Center supported Dr. Sarah Walters’ completion of Yale University’s Climate Change and Health Program Certificate Program in 2025. She reported this was an incredible opportunity aligning directly with her work in climate justice and public health, offering:

  • Exposure to cutting-edge research in climate change and health to inform my scholarship and teaching.
  • Support for curriculum development, particularly in advancing climate equity education.
  • A platform for continued collaboration with Yale and other institutional partners.
  • An opportunity to expand global collaborations and bring diverse, lived experiences into the Global Health course I’m currently teaching.