2020 INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Showcase
Presentation Type
Open Access Oral Presentation
Keywords
Social justice and education; Environmental justice--Study and teaching (Higher);
Abstract
The Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center at the University of Northern Iowa funds an environmental equity internship program designed to challenge students to revision sustainability from an equity perspective and leave an impact on the interns and community. Interns are challenged to understand the systems analysis of issues using formal systems thinking approaches (Meadows, 2008), inculcating practices that allows them to tackle challenging equity and social justice implications, High vs. Low context communication and leadership styles (Vellnagel, 2013; Hall 1976), and understand environmental health disparities that exist using approaches such as understanding the naturome/nurturome, exposome and multiple expo-zones (Hall & Zeman, 2019; Wild, Scalbert, & Herceg, 2013). These theories provide the theoretical framework and we utilize an approach we’re calling trans-formative, trans-theoretical equality education, to provide experiential and trans-formative education in environmental equity and sustainability. This article discusses this model, foundational theories and sciences, and provides examples in action through the Panther Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience program, PIEER. Through the findings of an impact evaluation survey of PIEER interns (N=30, n=22/21; response rate ~ 0.73/72), a long-term participant impact is indicated. To shift toward an equitably sustainable society, this has to be accomplished by providing trans-formative theory and trans-formative experiences to students, who will shape the future.
Start Date
17-4-2020 12:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2020 4:00 PM
Faculty Advisor
Catherine Zeman
Department
Department of Health, Recreation, and Community Services
Student Type
Graduate Student
Copyright
©2020 Dionna Williams
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Williams, Dionna and Zeman, Catherine, "Using Self-reflection and Community Engagement Opportunities to Combat Social Justice Issues" (2020). INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference. 67.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsresearchconf/2020/all/67
Using Self-reflection and Community Engagement Opportunities to Combat Social Justice Issues
The Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center at the University of Northern Iowa funds an environmental equity internship program designed to challenge students to revision sustainability from an equity perspective and leave an impact on the interns and community. Interns are challenged to understand the systems analysis of issues using formal systems thinking approaches (Meadows, 2008), inculcating practices that allows them to tackle challenging equity and social justice implications, High vs. Low context communication and leadership styles (Vellnagel, 2013; Hall 1976), and understand environmental health disparities that exist using approaches such as understanding the naturome/nurturome, exposome and multiple expo-zones (Hall & Zeman, 2019; Wild, Scalbert, & Herceg, 2013). These theories provide the theoretical framework and we utilize an approach we’re calling trans-formative, trans-theoretical equality education, to provide experiential and trans-formative education in environmental equity and sustainability. This article discusses this model, foundational theories and sciences, and provides examples in action through the Panther Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience program, PIEER. Through the findings of an impact evaluation survey of PIEER interns (N=30, n=22/21; response rate ~ 0.73/72), a long-term participant impact is indicated. To shift toward an equitably sustainable society, this has to be accomplished by providing trans-formative theory and trans-formative experiences to students, who will shape the future.
