A free class on creativity, the changing climate and community resilience - just as artists imagine new possibilities and help communities make sense of uncertainty, they can also model resilience. When we prepare ourselves, our households, and our organizations for emergencies, we strengthen our ability to support others when disasters occur.

Lauren Kraemer, MPH is an Associate Professor of Practice with the Oregon State University Extension Service College of Health, serving nine counties in Oregon’s Central Region, including Hood River and Wasco Counties. Since 2011, she has taught disaster preparedness education in the Columbia River Gorge, helping communities build practical skills to prepare for and respond to hazards.

Lauren is an Oregon delegate to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and a trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer. She has co‑authored numerous “Creating a Culture of Preparedness: Survival Basics” publications, covering water, food, sanitation and hygiene, stress, and preparedness kits.

A major focus of Lauren’s work is wildfire smoke preparedness and risk communication. She has led regional efforts to plan for, communicate about, and reduce health impacts of wildfire smoke in the Columbia Gorge, including installing over 50 new air quality monitors across the Gorge and launching SmokeReadyGorge.org to support communities, organizations, and residents during smoke events.