About Us

"Imagine if a mom, who we had helped train to think about these [environmental health] principles and guidelines, and then she took that knowledge and ran for her City Council, where she could make that community a healthier and safer place. That's the future that Women for a Healthy Environment envisions.”

Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Director

Our History

Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) is a group of women united by a passion for learning more about the environmental topics raised at the Women’s Health & the Environment conferences, a free event sponsored by Teresa Heinz, The Heinz Endowments and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. This conference features nationally renowned environmental scientists, writers and activists who share the newest science examining the possible links between the environment and our health. Following the 2007 Women’s Health and the Environment conference, a group of women were asked to volunteer their expertise to determine how to best educate and involve women – and those who love them – about issues related to women’s health and the environment. Women across Western Pennsylvania who had a common goal of strengthening and improving the health of our region joined this network – now called Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE).

Our Vision

Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) educates communities about environmental risks to human health, provides action steps to mitigate those risks, and advocates for solutions to better protect the region. WHE serves parents, students, children, school and early learning personnel, as well as health and community-based organizations, with an emphasis on those living in underserved communities. Creating healthy spaces for children to live, learn and play is at the core of our work.

Our Mission

Women for a Healthy Environment educates and empowers community members to act as ambassadors about environmental risks to help individuals makes healthy choices for themselves and their families, and advocate for change for a better tomorrow.

Our Values

Commitment: Maintaining the responsibility and focus of creating a healthier environment for all.
Accountability: Utilizing the organization’s resources and properly stewarding its finances in a manner that is transparent, honest and responsible and maintains the public trust.
Inclusiveness: Promoting collaboration, diversity and social justice within our organization and across all communities in which we work.
Integrity: Advocating sound, evidence-based science, following the guidance of the precautionary principle, and safeguarding the handling of data, research and information.
Vigilance: Fostering a culture that promotes a sustainable future for all.

our Team

Women for a Healthy Environment is comprised of a dynamic and passionate team of public health, policy, and environmental professionals. Learn more about our team here.

WHE Programs

Women for a Healthy Environment addresses environmental risks that impact public health through educational programming, community support, technical assistance and advocacy. Click the icons below to learn more.

The Healthy Homes program provides our community with tools to create a toxin-free home environment. We strive to ensure healthy home environment through providing programming like Healthy Homes Assessments, which give simple strategies for indoor environmental health, green cleaning kits, and resources to ensure your home environment is safe for you and your family.

Healthy Schools PA is a program designed to help guide schools and administrators on building new and maintaining existing facilities, and improving indoor air quality with the incorporation of environmental health principles. Through the 1000 Hours grant program, Healthy Schools PA also ensures our children’s health is protected by eliminating lead and radon in the school environment.

The Healthy Early Learning Program provides programming to early learning centers, giving parents and administrators the tools to improve indoor air and water quality, and eliminate environmental exposures that can be especially harmful to small children, including the use of pesticides, strong chemicals, and certain playroom materials.

WHE makes change by assisting community members with and educating them on environmental health hazards and providing tangible opportunities to advocate for solutions. We offer educational resources, tools to advocate for policy change, and a network for cross-sector coalition building to develop policies that will protect our communities.

Celebrating Diversity

WHE embraces the participation of program participants, volunteers, staff and board of directors without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state or local law.

WHE seeks to foster a culture where all individuals, cultural differences and talents are celebrated with the core belief that a diverse range of perspectives and experiences enable our organization to perform optimally. This also means WHE is happy to provide reasonable program and job accommodations to those with disabilities, as defined by federal law. We firmly believe an inclusive environment serves to strengthen the ties between WHE and our community and is essential to the success of our mission.

contact Us

If you are interested in receiving our programming, or your group would like a representative from Women for a Healthy Environment to speak about us and our areas of focus, please contact us.

About Us

Our History

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Values

our Team

WHE Programs

Healthy Homes

Healthy Schools PA

Healthy Early Learning Centers

POLICY

Celebrating Diversity

contact Us

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