EAS 501.226 - Approaches to Advance Environmental Justice in Policy & Practice
This course focuses on preparing the next generation of scholars, activists, policy makers, and practitioners who will put environmental justice principles and values into practice. The intent of this course is to explore the culture of policy and practice across different sectors (business, government, philanthropy, and non-profit), by analyzing historical, current, and future efforts in policy and practice to promote environmental justice and sustainability. The course content will be a mixture of lectures, professor & student-led discussions, applied projects & external speakers who will share their wisdom from various sectors and life experiences. Environmental Justice, as a movement, as a practice, and as an area of study, is interdisciplinary in nature. Some of the questions we will tackle include, but are not limited to: what are the elements of transformative environmental justice policy? How do I strategize advancing environmental justice practice in an environment that is not people-centered? What are the intangible skills and tools I need to build as a young professional to effectuate the change I want to see in the world? This course is designed for new and emerging professionals and practitioners in the fields of environmental science, environmental management, public health, engineering, social science, environmental planning and policy development, and other disciplines that are interested in understanding how to operationalize environmental justice through practice, policy, and institutional change.