Children's Health Month October 2019
Children's Health Month Proclamation

WHEREAS the protection and development of the health of children today are fundamental necessities to the future progress and welfare of our nation and world….

We at the Center for Children’s Environmental Health fully support Children’s Health Month and reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding children’s health and well-being. Our research focus is on identifying harmful environmental exposures so that parents, communities, and policymakers can take needed preventive action to protect children. We are dedicated to improving educational attainment in the most vulnerable and disenfranchised communities and to achieving environmental justice. Our activities in recognition of Children’s Health Month and 400 Years of Inequality below. 
College PREP for Washington Heights, Bronx and Harlem Youth-
Brings Together Voices from Atlanta, Bronx, Olympic Champion and Mexican Immigrant

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Columbia University’s Center for Children’s Environmental Health, (CCCEH) and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, (HICCC) partnered with PS 4, Duke Ellington to host a four-hour workshop to help local youth from Washington Heights and Harlem with the college application process. PS 4’s Principal Stevens, enthusiastically kicked off the event by pointing to his two year old in the back room, stating, “It’s never too early to start thinking about college…”  
 
Over 40 youth and parents attended the event on a holiday weekend. To connect with the youth, Columbia University, first-generation graduate and recipient of the Gates Millennium Foundation scholarship, Beatriz Duran-Becerra, shared her personal story of little support from her overburdened high school counselors and her Mexican parent’s reaction to her college acceptance.
“I decided to go to college and every weekend I scoured the internet for scholarships, I knew my parents did not have the funds.”   When I received my acceptance to Columbia, my father’s response was , “why do you want to go to another country, and how much does it cost?” Read More
 
In recognition of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of more than 20 Africans in Virginia, who were subsequently sold into bondage, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health organized a number of talks and events. The goal to educate and engage our community on how this history continues to shape health inequalities throughout the United States and how public health can be a lever to change the status quo.
 
The Center for Children’s Environmental Health, (CCCEH) Director of Community Outreach and Translation, Diana Hernandez , PhD, Assistant Professor of Socio-medical Sciences, and Peggy Shepard , Co-Founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, long-time partner with CCCEH discussed history, advances and their hopes for Environmental Health. Ms. Shepard recited the Environmental Justice Preamble to highlight the importance of the day’s commemoration and its connection to Environmental Health.
Great Partnerships Enhance Credibility-
WEACT Awards Dr. Perera

WEACT’s Annual Gala 2019 on October 16 th , Building Power- In the Streets, In the Community, In the Capitol celebrated five honorees, including the Center’s own Founding Director, and current Director of Translational Research, Dr. Frederica (Ricky) Perera.

Peggy Shepard, WEACT Executive Director, described the fruitful relationship between Dr. Perera’s and the Center’s research-to promote health and environmental justice for children. “Our partnership helped each other’s credibility,” stated Ms. Shepard. 

For over twenty years, the collaboration ensured that the Center’s research was turned into action. Ms. Shepard said, we needed the facts on environmental exposures and the scientific partnership with Ricky and the Center provided us with this ammunition”.  
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Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health
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