Desirée Greenhouse was a Newkirk Graduate Student Fellows with the Research Justice Shop from 2019 – 2020. She shared this infographic with participants of the Research Justice Workshop series’ workshop 8: Producing and communicating knowledge in community-based research. This infographic provided workshop participants with an additional example of how research findings were synthesized and visualized to share back with the communities that the research impacted. Below Desirée describes the process for creating the product as well as the product itself.
What was the output/product that you created?
An infographic that describes the Community Air Quality Monitoring Project in development at Madison Park Neighborhood – GREEN. Désirée was a Newkirk fellow from January 2019 through June 2020, as a fellow she supported MPNA-GREEN on exploring environmental justice concerns in their neighborhood, specifically through a grant received from the California Air Resources Board. As part of a team of Newkirk Fellows, Désirée helped MPNA document this campaign and prepare grant reports for CARB. In the Spring of 2020, she did an independent study with Research Justice Shop Co-directors to develop this infographic.
What was the purpose of the product? How did it come about?
The initial purpose of the infographic was a way to visually communicate the project’s progress including information summarized in the CARB grant reports, to residents who live in Madison Park. With new legislation, specifically SB1000 which requires cities and counties to adopt an Environmental Justice element or integrate environmental justice into other policies, there was a recent opportunity to use this infographic as a part of the community outreach regarding SB1000 advocacy for the update to the Santa Ana general plan.
What is the organization and your relationship to it?
MPNA-GREEN was established in 1987 as a grassroots, resident-driven, community-building organization; Madison Park Neighborhood Association (MPNA) is working to improve the quality of life for all residents in the Madison Park neighborhood and surrounding South-East Santa Ana. MPNA became a non-profit in 2009 and in 2011 launched The Getting Residents Engaged in Exercise and Nutrition (MPNA-GREEN) Programs at James Madison Elementary School as part of the Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities Initiative (SABHC) from The California Endowment. Through civic engagement and community empowerment, MPNA-GREEN promotes: Youth Educational Opportunities; Family Health & Wellness and Safe & Clean Environment.
Who worked on it?
Désirée proposed the idea of the project to Co-directors and MPNA leadership. She led on the creation of the infographic with mentorship from RJS Co-directors, and feedback and input from MPNA staff as well as Santa Ana residents, who are members of CUAL Committee. Infographic is currently being translated for use in their campaign.
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