Extension Program Specialist and Associate Receive National Award

Auburn, Nov.7, 2003---Extension Program Specialist Barbara Mobley and Extension Associate Laura Booth, recently received the National Environmental Education Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at the Galaxy II Convention, a national Extension conference, in Salt Lake City.  They have also won state and regional awards for environmental education.

The award was for Alabama’s Environmental Train-the-Trainer program, which was developed to educate consumers.  Extension agents and health care professionals about sources of health risks related to indoor environmental problems.

"The Alabama concept applies a powerful Extension model of train-the-trainers for indoor air quality trainings at the state level," one judge said. "It had a large impact, and a variety of professionals were reached. Strong participation and many partnerships developed. This program is a superb example of good programs achieving worthy results."          

The rising prevalence of indoor environmental health-related problems, particularly among children, prompted the need for outreach education in environments, lifestyle and other factors that may be responsible for the increase.

In the last two years, 11 home environmental health train-the-trainer workshops were conducted in various locations across the state.  More than 1,100 trainers received information on how to detect and mitigate problems in the home, workplace and school environments associated with carbon monoxide, household hazards, asthma triggers, mold, lead, secondhand smoke, water quality and asbestos.

Because approximately 6 percent of Alabamians have asthma, special emphasis was placed on the asthma phase of the program.

“A concentrated asthma educational/intervention phase of the project was developed, including a Web site, educational materials and special work in one pilot county in the state,” Mobley said.   

Other asthma education projects are still in the development stage.

As a result of the program, trainers provided needed information to more than 3,000 families. Also, Gov. Bob Riley signed a proclamation declaring October Children’s Environmental Month for Alabama.

Booth said one of the most beneficial results of the program was the formation of new partnerships in communities.  Partners helped with local planning and developed agendas for the workshops using materials developed from a variety of agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Soap and Detergent Association, Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the American Lung Association of Alabama.

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