DPH outlines five‑module climate‑health curriculum, aims for June launch

The Department of Public Health gave coalition members an update on curriculum development and the timeline for launch.

Hannah described the curriculum as five modules created from a survey of local health directors and organized around extreme weather, temperature, air quality, water and foodborne illnesses, and vectorborne illnesses. “We really see our sort of value add on a curriculum as having Connecticut specific information and data,” she said, and noted the inclusion of resiliency strategies and action items local health departments could use.

Status and timeline: Hannah said the resilience strategy frameworks for extreme weather and temperature are complete, food and waterborne frameworks are in progress, and vectorborne and air quality frameworks are slated to be completed by March. The team plans to finalize content and plan focus groups in February–March, conduct focus groups in April, incorporate feedback and secure internal DPH approvals in May, and launch the curriculum on June 1.

Hannah noted the curriculum will link to a more detailed toolkit for local heat and air quality planning and that focus groups will test usefulness for local health department staff and directors. She also said two Yale graduate interns are assisting; she named one intern, Anna, as the primary contributor to the resilience frameworks.

Participants suggested accessibility features and cross‑department coordination. Coalition members emphasized language accessibility, use of images or short videos for different learning styles, and linking training content to existing state resources (for example air‑monitoring programs) to reduce duplicative local workload.

The office requested volunteers for focus groups from local health departments and said the new health program associate will help advance the timeline once she starts in February.