Community Engagement Core
Overarching goal: The CEC objective is to develop and sustain a Community-Academic Partnership between the Center for Environment, PFAS, and Cancer Toxicology (CEPaCT) and residents in the Rantoul community to empower community-led public health PFAS and cancer risk reduction, prevention, and intervention decisions and actions. The proposed activities and products are designed to extend to Champaign County and other impacted communities across Illinois and beyond. These efforts will be guided by a Community Advisory Board (CAB) that will ensure integration and alignment between the CEC aims and activities.
Approach: (1) Facilitate information sharing leading to co-learning and shared knowledge via hosted forums with community stakeholders, CEPaCT researchers and trainees, and regulatory agencies, (2) develop effective health messaging focused on PFAS and cancer risk reduction through a healthy diet, and (3) respond to emerging local community needs and concerns through the Illinois PFAS Research to Action fellow program (I-PRA) that partners a CEPaCT trainee and community stakeholder(s) on a locally relevant solution-based prevention and intervention community action project.
PFAS Resources
PFAS Explained
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas
Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Risk
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/meaningful-and-achievable-steps-you-can-take-reduce-your-risk
Get Involved with EPA Regulations
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/get-involved-epa-regulations
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Illinois EPA)
https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-quality/pfas.html