Environmental Stereotypes

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SUPPORTING DIVERSE STUDENTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE IDENTITIES

Youth from non-dominant groups often face identity-related barriers to participating in both nature activities and science practices. For example, shared notions of “outdoorsy people” and “scientists” may be at odds with some young people’s sense of self and the ways their identities are expressed in where they live, what they do, and with whom they associate. Identity-based obstacles pose a serious challenge, then, if environmental educators want all young people to care about biodiversity. From a social justice perspective, these obstacles are compounded by the fact that youth from non-dominant groups are more likely to grow up in communities impacted by environmental hazards. …show more content…

They identified boundary objects, time and space, social supports and collective agency, and knowledge as important factors.

By “boundary objects,” the authors refer to physical tools that helped students try new things and move out of their comfort zones. For example, the use of waders helped students get over their fear of entering the water—an important hurdle to overcome in order to take measurements from snapping turtles. Using cameras to record data also helped some students get closer to the animals, as the students focused more on getting a good photo than how afraid they initially were to approach the wildlife.

“Time and space” refers to the flexible and responsive way in which the program allowed students to gradually increase their participation as they gained confidence. This quality of the program, which stood in contrast to the strict schedules and pacing calendars of many traditional school settings, was crucial for students who were grappling with new ideas of themselves and what they could

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