Overview

Environmental justice is an established field of study and of action. The environmental justice movement took off in 1982 and focuses on addressing the disproportionate bearing of environmental hazards by particular racial and socio-economic groups. At this workshop we will explore how issues and actions related to environmental justice are currently incorporated in the curriculum, the role of geoscience in those activities, and new ways in which we may be better able to integrate geoscience and environmental justice. We will also explore the range of views on the role of activism in undergraduate teaching and the implications for teaching environmental justice in different educational contexts.

The workshop will consist of a combination of plenary talks, panelist presentations, discussions, and time for networking and collaboration. Workshop participants will share successful strategies and materials for teaching about environmental justice from a variety of disciplines. An important outcome from this workshop will be to identify topics where new curricular materials will have a major impact on integrating teaching environmental justice across the curriculum.

This workshop supports the InTeGrate project in developing curricula that will teach geoscience in the context of societal issues across the disciplines and in creating a population of college graduates who are poised to bring geoscience to the creation of viable solutions to current and future societal challenges. It is also a central part of the project strategy to increase the diversity of students who develop geoscience literacy and who bring geoscience understanding into the workforce.

Funds are available for development of teaching materials recommended as a high priority for new development by this project. Beginning in 2014 funds will be available to support implementation programs that model new ways to achieve this goal.

Goals

The goals of this workshop are to:

Bring together faculty from across the disciplines to share strategies for addressing environmental justice in their teaching.
Document current courses and activities that bring together humanities, social science and geoscience to address aspects of this topic.
Explore strategies for developing widespread student understanding of environmental issues and for addressing environmental or resource inequities.
Identify themes where new teaching materials would facilitate teaching environmental justice with a multi-discipline perspective that includes geoscience.
Begin developing inter-institutional teams of faculty to create new teaching materials.

Schedule

The workshop begins on Sunday afternoon, April 14, 2013 at 5:00 PM and ends at 2 PM on Tuesday, April 16. Participants must attend all sessions including the final synthesis.

Expectations

All workshop participants are expected to:

Prepare in advance for the workshop via readings, writings, discussion or other activities developed by workshop leaders.
In advance of the workshop, submit a description of either a course or an activity that teaches about environmental justice.
In advance of the workshop, submit a one page essay about your approach to teaching environmental justice.
Participate fully in the entire workshop.

Who Should Apply?

This workshop is designed for college faculty from all disciplines who teach topics relating to environmental justice at the undergraduate level. Ideally, workshop participants will already have experience in teaching this topic and will be in a position to share their expertise with others. While the workshop has a geoscience element, we are especially interested in learning from expertise outside the geosciences and we encourage applicants from other STEM fields, social sciences and humanities, including applications from instructors at two-year colleges.

Application Process and Selection Criteria

The application period has closed. Accepted applicants will be notified approximately 2 weeks after the deadline. Prior to the workshop, accepted applicants will be asked to fill out a registration form to confirm their attendance and to communicate their travel arrangements.

The final list of participants will be established with the goal of obtaining a wide view of strategies for teaching environmental justice across the disciplines in a variety of institutional settings. In selecting participants from among the applicant pool, we seek a diverse set of participants and institution types. Preference will be given to applicants who hold faculty positions at US colleges and universities, and document specific interest in the integration of geoscience with other perspectives in their teaching.

Expenses

There is no fee to attend this workshop, and the project grant (NSF DUE - 112533) covers double-occupancy participant lodging, meals and supplies during the workshop. Participants or their institutions are expected to cover the cost of travel to and from the workshop. Participants are eligible to apply for workshop stipends to help defray travel expenses in cases of financial need.

Facilities

The workshop will be held on the campus of Carleton College. Participants will be housed in double-occupancy hotel rooms and will eat meals on campus and in town. A limited number of single occupancy rooms will be available at the expense of the participant.