#1We have trained more than 1,500 individuals with SALTA.
In this section
Welcome to Environmental Health Coalition's SALTA Community Leadership Training Program. This page has everything you need to learn about SALTA, create a registration account to download the curriculum and log in to return for more downloads and to provide feedback.
What is SALTA?
What is the SALTA approach?
What are the SALTA sessions?
How can my organization use SALTA?
WHAT IS SALTA?
SALTA (Salud Ambiental Lideres Tomando Accion – Environmental Health, Leaders Taking Action) is a web-based, interactive leadership development curriculum that provides community leaders with skill-building training in community organizing, policy advocacy, building power, community health, environmental justice and effective communication.
SALTA is a key component to ensuring that EHC achieves our core mission. More than education, SALTA is integrated with EHC's organizing and advocacy efforts to achieve environmental and social justice.
WHAT IS THE SALTA APPROACH?
SALTA programs represent the organic educational efforts of the different campaigns, teams, leaders, and staff that make up EHC and were designed specifically for our leaders based on our local efforts. We began SALTA trainings in 1996, and now more than 1,500 individuals have been trained.
Developed and field tested by EHC staff and leaders during the past 15 years, SALTA uses a popular education approach that makes the training inclusive and accessible to all participants. Trainings are based on the knowledge, skills and real-world experiences of EHC staff, leaders and training participants.
What are the SALTA sessions?
LEADERSHIP: In the Leadership Session, participants explore the concept of leadership within communities affected by social and environmental injustice, and their roles and responsibilities as EHC leaders.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: This session defines environmental justice and environmental racism (environmental injustice) and provides an opportunity for EHC leaders to identify environmental racism in their neighborhoods.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH I: Environmental Health I makes the link between pollution in the environment and human health and focuses on how toxic pollution denies this right to many, especially to workers and people living in low-income communities of color.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH II: In this session participants will learn about the sources and health impacts of Air Toxics affecting EHC's communities and how EHC is combating community air toxics.
POWER: This session will cover the role of power in winning environmental and social justice for environmental justice communities.
MESSAGING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: In this session, EHC Leaders will learn the basics of message development and how their personal stories can be used to inspire trust and hope in the target audience and create the will to take action.
ORGANIZING: In this session participants learn how to develop a relationship as a representative of EHC by sharing stories and broaden the "My Story" developed in the last session to "Our Story."
ADVOCACY: Participants will learn how to use advocacy to influence policy makers to take actions to protect public health and the environment.
LAND USE ADVOCACY & LEADERSHIP II: This last SALTA session will serve as a comprehensive review of all previous sessions by combining learnings through several activities including preparation of a presentation advocating before an elected official.
HOW CAN MY ORGANIZATION USE SALTA?
The main objectives of SALTA are:
- To develop unity, commitment and shared consciousness on EHC core principles
- To enhance EHC leader's skills and effectiveness
- To develop an understanding of all EHC's efforts
If these objectives are consistent with your organization's mission and theory of change, SALTA can provide a forum for learning and growing. SALTA training works best when integrated with active campaigns and opportunities to use the skills in the real world.
Each session builds on those prior. You may use individual activities or sessions as stand alone workshops but be aware that there may be topics covered in prior sessions that are integral to full understanding.
You may find it necessary in some cases to change or adapt some of the information or activities to suit your purposes, communities and local efforts. EHC encourages adaptation for individual needs of non-profits, environmental and social justice organizations, unions and public schools however any for-profit enterprise must first get permission directly from EHC.
