Bridging Communities and Health: Future Physician Deepens Local Connections Through Environmental Health Research in Milwaukee

Victoria Toledo, an active member of the Air Force and a medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), has always felt a strong connection to her local community. Growing up just 15 minutes away from Milwaukee in New Berlin, Wisconsin, she developed a passion for public health and community advocacy, particularly for the younger population. This summer, she found the perfect opportunity to merge her interests through the Dr. Elaine Kohler Summer Academy of Global Health Research.

“The Kohler summer academy helped me realize that I love working with communities and connecting my research skills with real-world impacts,” Toledo says.

The Kohler academy, managed by the MCW Office of Global Health, offers a 10-week program that allows medical students to engage in hands-on, faculty-mentored research experiences with global collaborators. The scholarship fund, provided by the Wm. Collins Kohler Foundation, supports projects that continue Dr. Kohler’s commitment to improving health outcomes locally and globally.

Toledo’s involvement in the Green Recreation Outdoors for Wellness (GROW) program allowed her to explore environmental health disparities in Milwaukee. Under the mentorship of Kirsten Beyer, PhD, MPH, MS, professor of epidemiology, Toledo assessed the physical activity levels of children in local elementary schools, focusing on how playground environments—especially those with green spaces—affect their health and well-being.

“MCW works closely with Milwaukee Public Schools and Reflo on this project, helping to measure and create evidence around the impacts of a major schoolyard redevelopment initiative on student and environmental health,” says Dr. Beyer.

Initially, Toledo applied for the Kohler program with the intent of conducting research abroad. However, when she learned about Dr. Beyer’s work with GROW, she felt an undeniable desire to contribute to her own community.

“When I reviewed this project, I felt drawn to being in Milwaukee over the summer and doing this project to collaborate with my own community, the city I grew up in,” Toledo says.

Growing Healthy Kids and Communities

The GROW program, which focuses on promoting children’s health through environmental initiatives in schools, allowed Toledo to dive deep into the intricacies of public health research. Throughout the spring and summer, she played a crucial role in various aspects of the project, from data collection at local elementary schools to analyzing the effectiveness of a climate health equity curriculum for educators, which will be a guiding force in understanding the complex interactions between climate change, our community environment and its effect on children’s health.

"Teaching educators at all grade levels across the district how to implement this type of curriculum into their classrooms is critical,” says Kim Talarico Wolff, climate education coach at Milwaukee Public Schools. “I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to work with students and educators to assure that their knowledge about climate change brings meaningful action and cultivates hope for our future."

One of the standout components of Toledo’s work involved tracking physical activity levels among children using GPS and accelerometer belts to assess the impact of different playground environments on their health.

“I assisted with research data collection to help with the belt data tracking. We put these GPS and accelerometer belts on kids to see how much they move and how fast they move on playgrounds,” Toledo says.

A ‘Climate Health Equity’ Curriculum

Additionally, Toledo evaluated the effectiveness of a climate health equity curriculum implemented across several schools and aimed at enhancing teachers’ understanding of climate change, racial inequities and environmental health. The curriculum showed promising results, with teachers demonstrating increased literacy in climate change and a greater awareness of environmental injustice and institutional discrimination.

“It was inspiring to see how this school-based program can influence educators and, in turn, positively impact their students,” Toledo says. She also recognized the importance of expanding the curriculum to reach more diverse groups of educators in future sessions.

Toledo’s summer research experience not only reinforced her passion for pediatrics, but also deepened her understanding of the systemic issues affecting Milwaukee’s youth. Through her work, she gained valuable insights into how environmental factors, such as access to green spaces and exposure to pollutants, can have long-term impacts on children’s health.

“This experience reinforced my commitment to addressing the social determinants of health in my future practice,” she says.

Toledo is eager to continue her involvement with the GROW program and Dr. Beyer’s team. She hopes to participate in future data collection periods and contribute to the ongoing development of the climate health equity curriculum.

"Dr. Beyer’s ongoing research is crucial in understanding how different environments, which kids don’t have autonomy over, can significantly affect their health, from asthma to food access,” Toledo says. “It’s important to share with the community how environmental factors affect children’s health. As a future physician, being able to advocate for and with my patients in this way is incredibly important to me.”