About us

The University of Washington Center for Environmental Health Equity (UW CEHE) is an environmental health technical assistance center that serves community-based organizations, tribal organizations, and Tribes in Washington State.

History of the Center

UW CEHE was launched on June 1, 2023 as a new Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) with funding from the US EPA and DOE to provide environmental and energy justice technical assistance to groups in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.  After serving over 400 technical assistance cases, helping community-based organizations raise over $32 million in funding for their work, with more than half of funding serving rural and remote communities, support for the TCTAC program was terminated abruptly and prematurely on May 2, 2025 due to changes in federal priorities. 

The work of the center has continued with a focus on serving groups in Washington with continued support from Washington State and philanthropic gifts.

Learn more about TCTACs  

Who we serve 

We work with Tribes and community-based organizations that have deep relationships and roots in frontline communities, or those who experience the “first and worst” impacts of climate change and environmental pollution. Tribal and community leaders bring unique experience and perspective in developing solutions.  

We work with tribal communities, communities of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), communities that are low-income, rural communities, immigrant and refugee communities, LGBTQ+ communities, communities of people with disabilities, and others who experience systemic inequities in exposure to environmental hazards and access to resources.  

What we do 

UW CEHE provides many types of technical assistance, including planning support, data synthesis, and funding and proposal development. 

Learn more about our technical assistance

Our Impact

people  Over 400 TA cases served

paid Helped TA recipients apply for $87 million

assured_workload       $32 million secured for TA recipients

agriculture  74% of funds raised serve rural/remote communities

Funding  

Funding for UW CEHE is provided by Washington State and philanthropic gifts. 

Help support UW CEHE