2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Developing a Community-Based, Environmental Justice-Oriented Curriculum for STEM Learning

Presented at Engineering Empowered Communities: Place-Based Community Engaged Learning

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education curricula focus on developing students’ science knowledge and technical skills. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of embedding community-based communication practices and concepts of justice into STEM classrooms, such skills are not a traditional component of high school STEM curricula. Standardized testing, mandated curricular requirements, and teacher inexperience make both teaching and developing curricula that are justice and equity-oriented difficult. However, new academic standards for student learning in STEM recognize the value of integrating community-based learning, social, and environmental justice into STEM classrooms, not only to better address real-world challenges, but also to better support the interests and motivations of minority students.
The study draws on curriculum documentation, lesson places and interviews from two high school teachers who co-developed and taught an integrated community-based, environmental justice curriculum in their classrooms. The authors examine and describe how teachers integrated community-based learning in their classrooms and how this integration impacted their perspectives on STEM education and curriculum design. Findings involved teachers’ viewing the integration of community learning as posing opportunities to rethink education and STEM education.

Authors

Ms. Cindy Hua Southern Methodist University [biography]

Cindy Hua is a PhD candidate in Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Lyle School of Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Biology. After her undergraduate studies, she began working as an educator in The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, which centered on advancing engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning to the public community. She furthered her studies in community-based engagement at SMU’s MA in Sustainability and Development program from 2018-2020 while continuing her work at the Museum. During this time, Cindy also joined the Board of Directors in Downwinders at Risk, a grassroots environmental justice organization, and currently is acting as chair of the nonprofit’s Particulate Matter Education Committee focused on environmental education outreach. Her doctoral research seeks to understand the impact of student learning experiences, particularly student empowerment and motivation, when exposed to justice-oriented curriculum within minority student populations.
Jessie Marshall Zarazaga Southern Methodist University [biography]

Dr Jessie Marshall Zarazaga directs the Sustainability and Development Program in the Lyle School of Engineering at SMU. Working across the boundaries of urbanism, landscape mapping, and public engagement, Zarazaga explores ways to connect culture and community to site.

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