Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Co-Creating Culturally Inclusive Climate Change Programming: A Qualitative Study With Indigenous Populations In Southeast Utah, Bayli R. Hanson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explores the impact of climate change on underrepresented communities, particularly Indigenous populations in the Colorado Plateau region, and the negative effects on their cultural identities and traditional practices. Despite their knowledge and connection to the land, Indigenous communities are experiencing climate change at a more extreme rate due to their geographical location and the lasting impacts of settler colonialism. The study aims to better understand Indigenous perspectives of climate change, co-create a climate change curriculum with Indigenous populations in southeastern Utah, and apply it to an Indigenous-centric field experience. By incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and Western science practices, …

Designing A Comprehensive Waste Management Plan For K-12 Public School Systems: Ridgefield High School Zero-Waste Initiative Case Study, Caitlin Saoirse Boyle

Student Theses 2015-Present

Waste management is fundamental to reducing the anthropogenic impact on the environment. It allows humans to recycle plastic, cardboard, aluminum, etc waste that would otherwise pile in a landfill, and compost food and napkin scraps. Ridgefield High School, a local Connecticut public school, initially diverted all of its cafeteria waste to landfills, with recycling bins only in teachers’ offices and select classrooms. Through the first waste audit conducted on their cafeteria trash, out of 258 lbs of waste collected, there is an 82.5% opportunity for diversion out of the waste stream including liquid, mixed recyclables, food, paper, 5-cent recyclables, and …

Nature-Based Education For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Kayleigh Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are several advantages to including a nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning into state standards, and the consequences of students who do not have access to outside learning and activities can be severe. The term “Attention Restoration Theory” (ART) was coined by psychology professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989 and claims that exposure to nature can improve mental fatigue and concentration. This senior capstone examines Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory and academic studies rooted in its philosophy as it applies to nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning. There are certain advantages for students who are exposed to a nature-based curriculum and …

Starting The Conversation: Race, Ethnicity, And Land At A Predominantly White Environmental Education Organization, Carolyn A. Waters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Environmental Educators use land as the locus and content of their work. However, dominant environmental narratives often exclude Indigenous and Black perspectives on land (Bang et al., 2014; Calderon et al., 2014; Engel-Di Mauro & Carroll, 2014). To address this and other issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), environmental organizations nationally have called for JEDI initiatives (NAAEE, 2020), such as professional development for their employees- the majority of whom are white (Green 2.0, 2021; Taylor, 2014). Research questions for this study were: 1) How do white environmental educators perceive race and ethnicity in their work as it …

Connecting Youth To Nature: Environmental Education’S Role In The Future Of Wellbeing And Stewardship, Claire Generous

Pomona Senior Theses

In 2005, the term Nature-deficit disorder was coined by Richard Louv to describe the childhood costs of alienation from nature including diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. The increasing use of technology, stricter parenting, local ordinances, biophobia, socioeconomic status, and coronavirus all contribute to Nature-deficit disorder. To mitigate and reverse Nature-deficit disorder and its consequences, children must connect with nature. Nature connection improves children’s health and wellbeing and increases environmentally responsible behavior. Nature connection can improve physical, spiritual, psychological, and social wellbeing. Children who spend more time in nature report lower …

Educating For Hope: Building Climate Change Resilience In The Middle School Classroom, Cambry J. Baker

Senior Independent Study Theses

Children increasingly express feelings of anxiety and hopelessness about climate change. Recent research has shown that cultivating hope in climate change education can increase young people’s emotional resilience and environmental behavior. This study asks: How does middle school teachers’ engagement with climate change and climate change emotions impact students’ hope? And how do students’ climate anxiety, self-efficacy, and connection to nature affect their environmental behavior and climate change hope? Data were collected in October 2020 through an online survey of middle school students (n=96) in Ohio. On average, students experienced low climate anxiety, moderate constructive hope and low-moderate hope based …

Sun, Sand, & Afternoon Showers: Creating Nature-Based, Outdoor Classroom Curriculum For A Central Florida Preschool, Ali Burdick

WWU Graduate School Collection

This project was completed as part of Western Washington University's graduate requirements, and has been presented in a website format. The project centered around the creation and revision of a nature-based preschool curriculum. This curriculum is integral to the school programming at St. Luke’s Lutheran Preschool in Central Florida, where the project was completed. During this project, I evaluated the curriculum already in place and worked with the school’s administration to outline changes that were to be made. These changes mirrored the school’s need and desire for a curriculum that reflected our ever-changing cultural and natural world. Lessons that may …

Documentaries Making A Difference: Communication Effects Of Environmental Film And Television, Lindsey A. Register

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the motives of environmental documentaries and their influences on public opinion and action regarding environmental issues and ethics. It suggests that through the communication platform of the environmental documentary, environmental education can further one's understanding of the environment and the human relationship with nature. Chapter 1 uses quantitative data on contemporary documentary filmmaking, as well as on coverage of environmental issues in all communications media. This chapter also includes the data from a survey conducted at Fordham University, showing the influence of environmental documentaries on students’ mindsets and behaviors at this school/institution. Chapter 2 explores the history …

Natural History Field Guide: Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, Casey Ann Trout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Common Ground Outdoor Adventures (Common Ground) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Logan, Utah. Americorps VISTA volunteer Kate Stephens initially founded Common Ground in 1993 to enhance adaptive recreational opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities in the Cache Valley community. The organization has grown since that time and is now a fully-staffed entity which annually serves 3,600 individuals. It works with individuals with a variety of disabilities, including cognitive, physical, and emotional. Considering that there are systematic and social barriers to individuals with disabilities participating in outdoor recreation activities, the role that Common Ground plays to provide opportunities to these …

Restoring Reciprocity: Indigenous Knowledges And Environmental Education, Mireya Valencia

Pomona Senior Theses

Environmental education in the U.S. has been slow to incorporate Indigenous knowledges, with most pre-university curriculum centering around Western science. I believe incorporating Indigenous knowledges into environmental education can promote reciprocal, critical, and active human-nature relationships. While Indigenous knowledges should infiltrate all levels of environmental education, I argue that alternative forms of education which operate outside the formal school system might present the fewest immediate obstacles.

Environmental Clearinghouse Of Schenectady, Kate Van Patten

Honors Theses

This paper analyses Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady, a local nonprofit environmental organization. The paper investigates the history of the organization as well as the effectiveness of its organizational and funding habits. A literary review was conducted to analyze the success of ECOS mission as well as the positive effects ECOS has on society using elements such as environmental education, the importance of early environmental education, how well the organization connects urban residents with the outdoors and the effectiveness of environmental programs. This research promotes the importance of early environmental education on our future generations health and environmental conditions. Additionally, through …

Growing Youth Programming At Garden City Harvest Through Participatory Action Research, Hannah B. Oblock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This professional paper presents a program evaluation and strategic plan for the youth development farming programs at Garden City Harvest (GCH), a non-profit in Missoula, Montana, which coordinates community-centered agriculture projects and facilitates sustainable agriculture education. The youth programs, Youth Harvest (YH) and Youth Farm (YF), hire adolescents of 15-18 years of age to work on their urban farms to learn about sustainable agriculture, job readiness skills, and social-emotional well-being. As the organization continues to expand, especially with the addition of a new facility, GCH administration and staff are interested in learning how the programs impact the youth employees and …

A Retro Development In Education: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Integrating Place-Based Education Into Mississippi Curriculum Standards, Colby K. Mcclain

Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates the feasibility of integrating place-based environmental education activities from Think Green, Take Action: Books and Activities for Kids into the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Frameworks for Science and Social Studies for K-5. As children develop and experience the world, their ability to understand and interpret the surrounding environments expand; however, Mississippi schools are not focused on experiential environmental education, even though experiencing and understanding the surrounding environment is vital in fostering eagerness to learn. Due to a growing disconnect between humans and the natural world, this thesis examined 37 place- and environment-based activities for children, sixteen …

Master's Project: The Ala Archa Ecological Leadership Project: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Environmental Adventure Education In Growing Responsible Environmental Leaders In The Kyrgyz Republic, Nathan E. Fry

Rubenstein School Masters Project Publications

Many experiential education programs maintain that their respective curriculums cause an increase in environmental ethics and action from graduates. However, a number of researchers suggest that programs do not produce genuine Responsible Environmental Behavior (REB) in students. Other researchers and educators have suggested that combining key elements from the two major models of experiential education – outdoor adventure education and environmental education – may produce the desired increase in REB. Based on research by Marcinkowski (2001), an increase in students’ internal locus of control coupled with an holistic approach to teaching ecological behavior are most likely to achieve this increase. …

Analysis Of Professors’ Perceptions Towards Institutional Redevelopment Of Brownfield Sites In Alabama, Berkley Nathaniel King Jr.

Dissertations

This study was conducted to analyze professors’ perceptions on the institutional redevelopment of brownfield sites into usable greenspaces. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011) refers to brownfields as sites, (either facility/land) under public law § 107-118 (H.R. 2869), which are contaminated with a substance that is classified as a hazard or a pollutant. Usable greenspaces, however, are open spaces or any open piece of land that is undeveloped, has no buildings or other built structures, and is accessible to the public (EPA, 2015).

Open green spaces provide recreational areas for residents and help to enhance the beauty and environmental quality …

Beneath The Surface Dive And Beach Cleanup Festival, Megan Van Hamersveld

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

La Generación De Residuos Sólidos Domiciliarios Y Sus Principales Determinantes Para El Departamento De Santander 2007 2013 : Un Estudio De Caso, Erika Johanna Carmona Donoso, Katheryn Stefany Echavarría Prieto

Economía

El sistema encargado de la prestación de los servicios públicos domiciliarios, en cuanto al servicio de aseo que consiste en la recolección de Residuos Sólidos Domiciliarios (RSD), es uno de los más importantes debido a la problemática ambiental que se ha generado hoy en día por el manejo inadecuado de los mismos, ya que la cantidad de RSD que se generan a diario, no están llegando en su totalidad a su disposición final (rellenos sanitarios). Lo anterior da como resultado el deterioro del medio ambiente, por lo que es necesario la implementación de reglas de juego cuyo objetivo sea la …

Docent Knowledge And Attitudes Following An Environmental Education Workshop On A Local Endangered Species, Keri Frances Dearborn

Theses Digitization Project

This study considers a direct relationship between increased levels of environmental knowledge, environmentally friendly behavior, and ecoscientific attitude. If focused environmental education can increase docent knowledge of local ecosystems and wildlife issues, it may also enhance the complexity of their motivational attitude toward the environment.

Learning To Eat Appreciatively And Thoughtfully (Eat): Connecting With Food Through School Gardens, Lina A. Yamashita

Honors Papers

Many young people today do not learn to cook, or eat nutritious, regular meals together with their families, or go shopping for produce. Because of this, they do not have the opportunity to develop any real appreciation for food. To make matters worse, many public schools fail to teach students anything at all about the complex environmental and cultural history of food – how it is produced, preserved, prepared, and distributed. At the same time, schools serve lunches that often lack nutritional value. In this thesis, I argue the importance of giving students the opportunity to connect to food through …

Next Generation Public Service Announcements For The Environment, Danielle Alexis Diaz

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research was to design new public service announcements (PSAs) for a teenage audience around environmental topics. Using components of constructivist pedagogy and free-choice learning, these PSAs demonstrated how to fuse popular teen culture with environmental education objectives. The design of the PSAs for this project hinged on finding a current popular format that would grab the attention of teenagers in order to successfully communicate information. This was achieved by taking a popular MTV show and twisting it to fit educational purposes. The success of this approach was tested by surveying a group of 50 teenagers. The …

Using Therapy Dogs With Troubled Middle School Children To Improve Social Skills And Teach Environmental Sensitivity, Linda Sue Flanagan

Theses Digitization Project

The objective of this project is to impove the social skills of troubled middle school children by teaching them humane dog care as well as the handling and training skills of dogs. The hope is to use therapy dogs as a link to the local environment and the development of environmental sensitivity; and to improve the academic status and decrease any negative behaviors displayed by these children. Includes lesson plans.

San Jacinto Center For Environmental Education, Susanna Catherine Hamilton

Theses Digitization Project

The author sets out to find what the characteristics of a functional and successful nature center includes. In doing so, she helps to create the San Jacinto Center for Environmental Education. The desire behind this is to bring more school-age children and university students to the site as well as to manage and expand the public walks on the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.

Development Of A Strategic Plan For The Highland Environmental Learning Center, Jessica Ann Sutorus

Theses Digitization Project

The project focuses on the development of a strategic plan for the Highland Environmental Learning Center (HELC), the completely integrated environmental learning center located in the Highland Branch Library of the San Bernardino County Library system. The plan was developed through the investigation of other nature centers, interpretive centers, and environmental learning centers to help define the purpose and mission for environmental education in a non-formal setting. It is also meant to serve as a guideline for future programming, budgeting, promotion, and staffing of HELC. The plan supports HELC's goal to foster environmental sensitivity and environmentally responsible citizenship.

Addressing Second And Third Grade California Science And Social Science Content Standards Through Environmental Literature, Denise Truex Hatfield

Theses Digitization Project

In response to the federal legislation No Child Left Behind, schools across the country implemented required reading programs for classroom instruction. Open Court's Reading program meets this criterion for many schools. The text in Open Court Reading for grades two and three was evaluated for science and social science content standards that would be supportive of environmental education. Supplemental lessons from Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WET were identified.

Source Evaluation And Selection For Interpretation In Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks, Lacey Elizabeth Moore

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to aid interpreters in evaluation sources (research material) for use in interpretive presentations and programs in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. This was done by illustrating the need for source evaluation and then developing the guidelines for selecting, evaluating, and most effectively using various sources in the development of interpretive programs in the National Parks Services (NPS).

Tibetan Buddhism And The Environment: A Case Study Of Environmental Sensitivity Among Tibetan Environmental Professionals In Dharamsala, India, Megan Marie Shearer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental sensitivity among environmental professionals in a culture that is assumed to hold an ecocentric perspective. Nine Tibetan Buddhist environmental professionals were surveyed in this study. Based on an Environmental Sensitivity Profile Insytrument, an environmental sensitivity profile for a Tibetan Buddhist environmental professional was created from the participants demographic and interview data. The most frequently defined vaqriables were environmental destruction/development, education and role models.

Discovering The Path To Indian Uses Of Native California Plants: A Family Activity Guide For The Native Plant Garden At The San Bernardino County Museum, Lauren Anne Trish Holman

Theses Digitization Project

The objective of this project is to develop an activity guide for the California native plant trail located adjacent to the San Bernardino County Museum that allows families to discover native California plants while increasing environmental and cultural sensitivity.