NIEHS Community Outreach and Education Program
Liam R. O’Fallon, MA, Coordinator
Every day we are challenged to make decisions about the risks of environmental exposures. To help stimulate development of a more informed public on environmental health issues, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) enhances production, dissemination, utilization, and effective implementation of curricular materials that make the connection between our environment and our health. NIEHS accomplishes these activities through a comprehensive science education program that includes the Community Outreach and Education Program (COEP). NIEHS established COEP in 1996 as a way to increase community awareness of environmental health and provide researchers with an understanding of what environmental health issues are of importance to communities. Science education is a primary activity of COEP. Many COEPs work with schools to develop engaging curricular materials for K-12 students. These materials meet national education standards and are tied into the latest environmental health science research. Educational and outreach materials developed by the COEPs are collected and organized at the COEP Resource Center at www.niehs.nih.gov/coep/.

For more information on COEP and other NIEHS science education activities, visit www.niehs.nih.gov/science-education/.