HIGH SCHOOL FOR
TEACHING AND PROFESSIONS
Location: The Bronx, New York
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Focus: Environmental Justice, Sustainability, and Advocacy.
Image: Students from our first program cleaning up trash at their school to make way for their student-elected garden.
BACKGROUND
In 2019 our partner school, the High School for Teaching & Professions (HSTP), wanted a modularized curriculum that would expose students to environmental justice and introduce them to new sustainability initiatives.
The students from the Green Club, AP Environmental Science, and Research for Science classes wanted to have input in their education.
DELIVERABLES
We created 4 environmental justice modules for use in hybrid and in-person settings, funded a school garden, and connected students to paid internship opportunities.​
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We coordinated field trips to local entities and spaces, as well as inviting guest speakers to increase student interaction with the environmental organizations, activists, and institutions in their local area. ​
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We funded the first school garden to provide an accessible green space, education tool, and communal produce site. This led to the eventual, development of our award-winning Food Justice curriculum, recognized by the NYC Department of Education's Office as a key environmental justice teaching resource.
Results
A 60% increase in tested student understanding of the principles of environmental justice.
A 30% increase in self-reported student confidence in expressing and explaining environmental justice.
We worked and formed connections with two environmental science classes and the sustainability club.
Project Highlights
Over 3 years later, our work at listening to student wishes, as well as teacher and administrative input, has remained the key to creating learning environments where everyone thrives.
Image: One of our first program students attending the world famous 2019 NYC youth-led Climate Strike.
Words from a Happy Teacher
" I have been implementing the Environmental and Climate Justice Curriculum in my Environmental Science classes and I am very impressed that the curriculum is well organized with four separate modules that focuses on specific environmental justice and climate change issues that relate to my students in the Bronx, NY. I am also very impressed with how well curated the curriculum is with four interactive Google Slides presentations filled with informative videos, maps, diagrams and pictures. There are multiple activities with teacher prompts designed to engage the students. I recommend this curriculum to all teachers who want to educate their students about Environmental and Climate Justice!"
-Alex Goasdoue
Environmental Science Teacher
High School for Teaching and the Professions