Lead Rummy

This childhood lead poisoning prevention health education tool is designed for organizations, classrooms or communities that already have a lead education program in place. Lead RUMMYTM resembles a deck of 52 cards in four suits (Lessons, Effects, Actions and Dangers- rather that hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) that contain questions and answers pertaining to lead poisoning. For more information, click here (PDF - leadrummy).

Corporate Adopt-a-School Program

The Corporate Adopt-a-School Program is a means for corporations to support today's youth by providing critical environmental health curricula to schools nationwide. Through the Corporate Adopt-a-School Program, a partnership is formed between a school district, local corporation and the Resource Center of EOHSI. Corporate sponsors are kept informed of all activities throughout the program's implementation.

Corporate sponsors support a comprehensive program that may include: curricular materials, hands-on teacher training, ongoing support by training center staff, field trips, fact sheets, newsletters, a reference library and Internet access. All training initiatives are tailored to meet each district's specific needs.

Our teachers and students have always been extremely interested in the environment. Through the Corporate Adopt-A-School Program, we now have access to new activities and resources to explore our world.

The teachers view the training as an opportunity to expand on their own educational growth process and a chance to establish comaraderie with their peers. Their enthusiasm translated into a heightened appreciation of how their actions affect their world and what each of them can do to help the environment.
Catherine Danchak, Science Coordinator, Nutley
Public School System, NJ

This program is a huge success. This is a belief we arrived at from the positive reactions of teachers. By taking an active role, arranging for our own evaluation team to go into the schools, we have seen, first-hand, the impact of this program. We recognize the substance of EOHSI's materials and the successful structure of its training. Teachers are not alone as they learn about the environment.
Larry Mondschein, PhD, Manager of Chemical
Information, Johnson & Johnson

Interactive Television (ITV) Program

Interactive television (ITV) employs state-of-the-art technology to link multiple locations throughout New Jersey and beyond. Teachers are able to see and speak to each other, enjoying immediate and personal interaction eventhough they are miles apart. Participating districts are required to have the ITV technology already in place. The schools involved in ITV work with EOHSI to set the training agenda. Together, we decide on which curriculum to focus and what grade-level teachers. Districts are involved in three training sessions during a school year:

• Curriculum overview
• Curriculum integration strategies; Field trip
• Program review; Sharing session

Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for Educator, Grades K-12

Each July, the Resource Center offers K-12th grade educators a unique opportunity to excite their students about learning. By attending the annual Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for Educators, teachers receive materials that help students experience science while focusing on environmental health issues relevant to their lives.

Our series of one- and two-day workshops held at the EOHSI building in Piscataway, NJ, help meet the education needs of teachers while promoting the use of the environment as a learning tool. Facilitated by EOHSI educators, scientists and classroom teachers, the workshops primarily focus on EOHSI’s curricula and are offered in small group settings. Sessions may emphasize investigative experiments, case studies, role plays, a tour of EOHSI, roundtable discussions with scientists and field trips.

A science background is not required. In fact, our goal is to assist teachers in enhancing their capacity to include science and math concepts in existing lessons. Participants receive training and materials - including lesson plans, student handouts, an oversized children’s book, games or a video - valued up to $95.00 - to help students develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills.

ToxRAP™ Network

We want YOUR DISTRICT/REGION to join the ToxRAP™ Network!

• Increase your personal knowledge of environmental issues
• Enhance your telecommunications proficiency
• Establish educational partnerships
• Enjoy dialogues with research scientists, medical experts and environmental professionals
• Discover methods to teach students decision making, critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Receive award-winning curricular materials
• Learn how ToxRAP™ modules address National Science Education Standards and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

This unique train-the-trainer initiative is offered by the Resource Center of EOHSI in collaboration with the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) at the University of Arizona. The training is based on ToxRAP™ (Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Pollution), EOHSI's innovative curricular series which introduces K-9th grade students to the principles of toxicology and the process of risk assessment.

Each year, EOHSI/SWEHSC accept ten school districts, In-service Training

Is your school in search of in-service teacher training opportunities that explore environmental health, foster critical thinking and problem solving skills and address the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the National Science Education Standards?

If so, contact the Resource Center of EOHSI. Our wide variety of K-12th grade curricular materials are designed to enhance your school's science, math, health, social studies, computer and/or language arts lessons.

Focusing on EOHSI's inquiry-based curricula developed by scientists and professionals, our environmental health educators will come to your school and present workshops tailored to meet your specific needs. Workshops can delve into the "how's" and "why's" of air pollution, recycling, toxicology and risk assessment and occupational health - just to name a few!

Training workshops may include award-winning lesson plans, hands-on activities, fact sheets, videos, computer software, games and books, field trips, speakers, technology integration and access to scientists and professionals at EOHSI.

Fees depend on curriculum and length of presentation. Training is available throughout the year. Contact the Resource Center today for more information!

Teacher professional development initiatives prove to be a powerful component in the success of the Resource Center’s outreach efforts. Training workshops are designed to support the use of EOHSI materials and the integration of environmental health sciences topics into school curricula, utilizing the latest technology and pedagogy. Workshops open up the lines of communication between educators and environmental health professionals and offer teachers the opportunity to interact with their peers, sharing ideas and concerns.

Teachers have noted that they benefit from the Resource Center’s hands-on training approach that allows participants to experience the materials as both a teacher and a student. This first-hand exposure to the teaching modules allows educators to discover how the lessons and activities are interrelated and build upon one another, ultimately preparing them for their classroom.

Training is offered year-round at both the EOHSI building in central New Jersey or at the trainee’s host site, nationwide.

During the first phase in developing a training program, EOHSI staff meets with administrators to discuss the specific needs of the school, district and/or educational organization. This would include determining on which curriculum teachers would be trained, the length of the program (one day, year-long or milti-year initiatives) and the grade level teachers to be involved. Traditionally, our goal is to conduct the trainings in small group settings, to allow ample opportunities for interactions, brainstorming, hands-on activities, investigative experiments and role-plays.

Training may include an overview of curricular lesson plans; methods for infusing the curricula; field trips; fact sheets; newsletters; ongoing support by Resource Center staff; access to our reference library; and a program evaluation sharing session. Training is offered in a traditional classroom setting or may employ such state-of-the-art technology as interactive television, which allows multiple sites to be trained simultaneously. Workshops may even follow a train-the-trainer format which not only teaches participants how to integrate the materials into their own classrooms, but provides the skills necessary for them to train other educators in their region.

Once an audience is identified and materials are chosen, EOHSI would then design the workshop(s). Concurrently, as a team we would work with the Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to identify sources of funding in your area. This process of locating corporate/foundation sponsorship may take from six months to one year to secure, including the submission of a grant proposal.

If approved, the grant would provide the necessary funding for EOHSI to supply training, curricular materials, subscriptions to our newsletter, evaluation and on-going support. In return, however, we do request a commitment from your school, district or educational organization to actively participate in the training program and implementation of materials into appropriate classrooms.