Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning Environmental Health in Higher Education Settings

Environmental health is the branch of public health focused on the relationships of people with their environment. In particular, it encompasses the influence of physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial factors on human health. It is estimated that 25% of the global disease burden is due to environmental factors, such as air pollution, poor sanitation, and more recently, the impacts of climate change on health. Environmental health professionals protect communities from environmental hazards in our air, food, water, and soil and have a major role in disaster preparedness and response. The public is increasingly required to be environmentally health literate to understand environmental health risks and exposures and use this information to make decisions about their health and wellbeing. The cumulative burden posed by environmental health threats in communities facing historic health inequities requires a transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning environmental health.

With climate change considered to be one of the greatest threats facing humanity and increased calls to address environmental injustice, never has it been more important to examine environmental health education and training. Moreover, there is concern about the status of environmental health programs in higher education. In the US, for example, accredited programs and schools of public health no longer have an explicit requirement to teach environmental health and several academic institutions have either merged or eliminated environmental health departments. There is a lack of environmental health professionals in all fields - from food inspectors to those involved in disaster management, occupational health, resilience, and now climate change. How can higher education continue to meet the demand for educating the environmental health workforce? The goal of this Research Topic is to explore innovative strategies for teaching and learning environmental health in higher education settings, ultimately advancing environmental health workforce development.

This Research Topic examines innovative approaches and practices for teaching and learning environmental health in higher education settings, including community college, undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Submissions from around the world are encouraged, including from low- and middle-income countries. Original research, perspectives and case studies are welcome. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation;
• Problem-based or practice-based learning;
• Competencies and learning objectives;
• Diversity and equity in teaching environmental health or implementing environmental health educational programs;
• Pedagogical approaches or strategies for teaching environmental health subjects (e.g., climate and health, air quality, occupational health, environmental justice, risk assessment etc.);
• Recruitment and enrollment issues of environmental health programs;
• Student perspectives on learning environmental health;
• Employer perspectives on workplace needs and graduate performance.