Learning with Chicago Youth about Environmental Justice
While young people are often framed as apathetic towards science class, politics, and the environment, movements like #ClimateStrike demonstrate that quite the opposite is often true. Yet, teachers often do not know how to bring out this type of vigorous engagement in their classes. In this session, learn from students and teachers who have done place-based projects geared towards teaching chemistry, inspiring civic engagement, and working for environmental justice. Recognizing that taking on authentic problems in science class is difficult, the focus of this workshop will rely on honesty, humor, and reflection to learn from each other about how to overcome challenges from complex chemistry content to resistant student attitudes. Using short interactive role plays, this workshop will share lessons we have learned and engage participants in thinking through and acting out what this work looks like in their contexts. With students and teachers as co-facilitators, this workshop seeks to engage educators’ imaginations in bridging sophisticated science learning, student agency, and authentic community involvement.
Takeaways: Learn to navigate scenarios that can encourage or prevent students' overlapping critical engagement in science class and their communities around issues of environmental justice.
Speakers
Alejandra Frausto Aceves (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Daniel Morales-Doyle (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Mindy Chappell (North-Grand High School: Chicago, IL), Tiffany Childress Price (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Jasmine Jones (Louisiana State University: Baton Rouge, LA), Adilene Aguilera (George Washington High School: Chicago, IL)