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What We Do

Community Science

We promote public involvement in scientific research by uniting expertise from scientists and educators with interests from the community. By engaging people in science all over the world, we can collect much more data to validate assumptions and research is no longer limited by what one researcher and his or her team can accomplish.

Stakeholder Engagement

We connect researchers with public health professionals and community-based organizations in NC. This engagement occurs in many ways, including using a train-the-trainer model to prepare practitioners to tackle environmental health issues in their communities, fostering dialogue among stakeholders, and increasing awareness and timely responses to emerging issues.

Undergraduate Internships

The CPES coordinates local environmental internships and research experiences for Triangle-area undergraduate students through 21EH Scholars, Sustainable Triangle Field Site (STFS) and EcoStudio. Since 2012, through these three programs, CPES has paired over 250 undergraduate students with internships and research experiences in the Triangle area.

Pathways into STEM

Through summer science enrichment activities for high school and research experiences for undergraduate students, we foster a science literate society by providing participants access to current scientific information and relevant resources in an interdisciplinary, hands-on and minds-on format.

teachers in the fieldTeacher Professional Development

The CPES has a long history of engaging K-12 teachers in North Carolina in inquiry-based professional development that incorporates current environmental science, often through authentic field experiences including field trips and outdoor learning. Topics of focus include energy, knowledge of North Carolina’s ecosystems and geography, and watershed science.

Youth Science Enrichment

Since 2009, we have led science enrichment programs for hundreds of K-12 students on a variety of environmental topics including energy, environmental health, and climate change. These opportunities incorporate current research from UNC-Chapel Hill, often through authentic field experiences.