The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has put forth a set of recommendations in its report "Nursing, Health and the Environmental" regarding nursing education and practice as it relates to environmental health.  This project is responsive to the recommendations for improving the integration of environmental health concepts into all levels of nursing education through nursing leadership and faculty development.  Faculty development in this area will also result in further research in nursing and environmental health, another recommendation of the IOM report.

Faculty development will be accomplished with a series of faculty workshops in the Southern Region of the U.S., encompassing 15 states.   Leadership development will be achieved in a seminar for deans and leaders of nursing schools in the Southern Region, as well as a national meeting of nursing leaders.

The project will join together faculty from the University of Maryland and Howard University, as well as staff and leaders from the Southern Regional Educational Board (including the Council of Collegiate Education in Nursing), and the National League for Nursing.  In addition, a Regional Working Group of nursing leaders and faculty from the Southern Regional and a National Advisory Board representing federal and national agencies and organizations will be convened to guide and advise the project.

Distant learning technologies will be utilized for the best dissemination of educational materials.  Curriculum will be developed for the regional workshops and made available nationally via the Web.  Additional conferences and guest lectures will be recorded and made available to practicing nurses, nursing faculty, and students via the Web.  A listserve will be established for all who attend the Regional Workshops in order to facilitate sharing of curriculum and other educational materials.  The project will be formally evaluated for process and outcome.