Problem:
Little to no curriculum is taught to kids on environmental health throughout Montana, making kids more vulnerable to the health effects of environmental hazards.
Solution:
Region 8 PEHSU partnered with a Montana-based environmental health organization to create the Environmental Health in a Box program, an innovative outreach initiative that provided free, ready-to-use environmental health education kits to Boys & Girls Clubs and elementary schools across Montana. Through age-appropriate books paired with hands-on, play-based learning activities, the program introduced children ages 6-12 to environmental health, and community resilience in an engaging and accessible way.
Impact:
By increasing ecological literacy, fostering teamwork and empathy, and equipping educators with no-cost educational resources, the program expanded access to environmental health education and helped prepare children to better understand and respond to emerging environmental health challenges. 435 kids were reached so far in 32 classrooms.