The purpose of this american rescue plan (ARP) funded state environmental justice cooperative agreement (SEJCA) grant is to provide funding to the city of houston to launch the houston…

This $200,000 cooperative agreement awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 to the City of Houston will support the launch of the Houston Inspires/Houston Inspiration public education campaign. The campaign aims to clearly communicate risks from elevated levels of airborne environmental pollutants like PM2.5 and benzene that can increase health risks associated with COVID-19. The City of Houston will work with community organizations, artists, and local students in priority neighborhoods to amplify the campaign through community-based art and storytelling activities. Expected outcomes include engaging storytellers from priority neighborhoods to share their experiences and supporting artists in communicating risk, in coordination with air monitoring under the Houston Health Department. This award advances the goals of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program to support state and local activities that lead to measurable environmental and public health benefits in overburdened communities.

The purpose of this american rescue plan (ARP) funded state environmental justice cooperative agreement (SEJCA) grant is to provide funding to the city of houston to launch the houston inspires/houston inspiration public education campaign focused on the risks communities face from elevated levels of airborne environmental pollutants. These pollutants, primarily PM2.5 and benzene, can increase and exacerbate the health risks associated with covid-19, which is also an airborne contaminant. The city of houston will work with community organizations, artists, and local students within the priority neighborhoods, including many of the city's complete communities, to amplify the campaign through community-based art and storytelling activities. Expected outcomes include clearly communicating risk in coordination with air monitoring and research being conducted by the houston health department, engaging and supporting artists and storytellers from the priority neighborhoods to tell their stor