What is SciCAN?
SciCAN, the Science and Community Action Network, is an environmental justice designed and community centered organization that backs environmental justice grassroots campaigns by centering community expertise in research and policy, and connects grassroots movements, scientists, and technical and issue area experts from neighborhoods across the country.
Our Mission
SciCAN advances grassroots environmental justice advocacy by connecting grassroots leaders and issue area experts in environmental and public health science and policy to collaborate respectfully and intentionally, share ideas and resources, and disrupt traditional approaches by placing community lived expertise at the forefront of research and policy.
Support our mission today!
Our Team
Jessica Thomas
Managing Director
Jessica Thomas is the Managing Director for Science and Community Action Network.
Elizabeth Friedman
Academic Advisor
Elizabeth Friedman is the Director of Academic Partnerships for Science and Community Action Network.
Beto Lugo Martinez
Community Network Director
He is an Environmental Justice organizer and Advisor for Science and Community Action Network.
Why join the SciCAN Network?
SciCAN provides a space to build alliances that protect our most vulnerable communities while they battle constant threats that stem from environmental, economic and social injustice. There are a number of benefits available to SciCAN users. Here are just a few:
- Access to shared research, resources, projects and personal stories.
- Connections with allies from a variety of backgrounds without geographical barriers.
- A single location that fosters open and inclusive communication within our diverse community, including between advocacy groups and subject matter experts.
- Up-to-date information, with forums and resources that are continuously evolving as the movement evolves.
- Opportunities for scientists and other issue area experts to bring their work into practice in service of frontline communities.
Sign up now to join our Community
Our Community
SciCAN is rooted in environmental justice principles, designed and led by fenceline community expertise, to support our movement across intersectional issues. EJ calls for the continued education of present and future generations, and the recognition and valuing of place based, community lived experience as rigorous data and information critical to understanding the problems and shaping the solutions to our environmental and climate justice crises.
With people’s lives on the line, we can’t afford to work alone. Making connections across cities, states, perspectives and disciplines while taking the lead from the frontlines—that’s how we’ll build power in the movement for environmental justice and health equity.
— Katherine CatalanoDeputy Director of the Center for Climate, Health and Equity at the American Public Health Association 
They call it interdisciplinary research, I call it collective work and responsibility - coming together for our families and communities for a world better than what we found!
— P. Qasimah Boston PhDBehavior Scientist and Health Educator 
SciCAN is a platform that provides community, scientists, actually everyone, an arena to share thoughts, ideas, on-going research, and data on issues of environmental concern, climate change and climate justice.
— Dawud ShabakaInterim Executive Director, Harambee House, Inc. / Citizens for Environmental Justice 
Civic science researchers have been waiting for a SciCAN to seed projects and help communities benefit from resources otherwise confined within academic institutions.
— Lourdes VeraAssistant Professor Department of Sociology Department of Environment and Sustainability University at Buffalo 
We of the Environmental Justice communities, which have many impacts and vulnerabilities must support SciCAN as an evidence based tool kit to prove the need for mitigations in Environmental Justice communities.
— Ms. Margaret GordonCo-Director West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project 
Decision-makers must have access to community-led, industry-independent data sets. By providing a safe platform for community members to partner with academic researchers, SciCAN is at the forefront of a research and data revolution.
— Monica E. Unseld Ph. D, MPHUntil Justice Data Partners 
SciCAN is rooted in environmental justice principles, designed and led utilizing fenceline community expertise, to support our movement across intersectional issues. EJ calls for the continued education of present and future generations, place based knowledge which exemplifies that we are the experts.
— Atenas MenaMSN, RN, CPN 
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With people’s lives on the line, we can’t afford to work alone. Making connections across cities, states, perspectives and disciplines while taking the lead from the frontlines—that’s how we’ll build power in the movement for environmental justice and health equity.
— Katherine CatalanoDeputy Director of the Center for Climate, Health and Equity at the American Public Health Association
They call it interdisciplinary research, I call it collective work and responsibility - coming together for our families and communities for a world better than what we found!
— P. Qasimah Boston PhDBehavior Scientist and Health Educator
SciCAN is a platform that provides community, scientists, actually everyone, an arena to share thoughts, ideas, on-going research, and data on issues of environmental concern, climate change and climate justice.
— Dawud ShabakaInterim Executive Director, Harambee House, Inc. / Citizens for Environmental Justice
Civic science researchers have been waiting for a SciCAN to seed projects and help communities benefit from resources otherwise confined within academic institutions.
— Lourdes VeraAssistant Professor Department of Sociology Department of Environment and Sustainability University at Buffalo
We of the Environmental Justice communities, which have many impacts and vulnerabilities must support SciCAN as an evidence based tool kit to prove the need for mitigations in Environmental Justice communities.
— Ms. Margaret GordonCo-Director West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
Decision-makers must have access to community-led, industry-independent data sets. By providing a safe platform for community members to partner with academic researchers, SciCAN is at the forefront of a research and data revolution.
— Monica E. Unseld Ph. D, MPHUntil Justice Data Partners
SciCAN is rooted in environmental justice principles, designed and led utilizing fenceline community expertise, to support our movement across intersectional issues. EJ calls for the continued education of present and future generations, place based knowledge which exemplifies that we are the experts.
— Atenas MenaMSN, RN, CPN
Previous
Next
Fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a 501c3 organization.