St. Lawrence University is located in rural northern NY, a region that is also home to fifteen state correctional facilities, which makes issues of incarceration personal for many in our community. A group of faculty and students have developed courses that bring SLU students and incarnated men together in college classes to achieve a central educational mission: to free students from the confines of limited personal experiences. These courses were developed as part of the national Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program and in partnership with a New York correctional facility. Our course is the first I/O chemistry class. The topic for our course was inspired by stories of environmental reform like Erin Brockovich’s discovery of hexavalent chromium in her community’s water supply. Our project was twofold; the first half was the creation of a complete syllabus outlining the course requirements and assessments of five topics. Our search criteria for possible topics focused on case studies with interesting chemistry and examples of successful environmental reform. Each case study was paired with a reading about justice or environmental ethics. The second half was the implementation of the course at a correctional facility during the spring semester of 2015. The students, inside and out, examined several cases of human activity that lead to environmental and human harm, on both a localized and global scale. Each case included investigating the discovery of the environmental problem, the chemical underpinnings of the disaster, and how an individual or group worked to resolve the problem. Evaluation of student work was based on a variety of high and low stakes assessments that developed writing, presentation, discussion, short answer, and conceptual skills. The assignments helped students explore how human activities can produce consequences for natural systems and how cultural, economic, and political factors affect environmental policymaking. Using a wide variety of assignments and the frequent use of group work ensured that all of the students were engaged and able to thrive in the classroom environment. Beyond the confines of the classroom and even the prison cell, students discovered themes of justice and environmental ethics in their daily lives.<br/>

Environmental justice: Chemical hazards and helpers

251st National Meeting (2016)

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