Jan 20 | Deadline to apply for 2023 Environmental Justice Academy

Launching in spring of 2023, the Environmental Justice Academy aims to promote environmental justice in communities of color by engaging the next generation in environmental awareness and advocacy. The program will provide spaces and opportunities for young women and non-binary youth of color to explore the intersections of community, justice, and environment. Applications for the inaugural cohort are due by January 20, 2023. 

The Environmental Justice Academy, which is an outgrowth of the Women's Environmental Leadership initiative, will engage 35 young women and non-binary youth of color living in communities along the Anacostia River in explorations of the intersections of community, justice, and environment. Guided in conversation by women whose work in multiple environmental spaces has effected change at local, regional, national, and international levels, participants will explore the pathways of Advocacy & Public Policy, Arts & Culture, Faith, and Inclusive Leadership.

The Academy is open to young women and non-binary youth of color of color ages 14-18 who live in communities along the Anacostia River and its tributaries in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland. 

Throughout the hybrid Academy participants will engage in curriculum including hands-on STEAM learning activities related to watershed ecology and environmental justice, as well as receive career development and mentorship. Using a STEAM framework, participants will:  

• Understand their communities’ role in the ecosystem of the Anacostia Watershed;  
   

• Map the ongoing relationships between the natural and built spaces that constitute their communities; 

• Identify and explore issues of environmental inequity impacting their communities; 

• Develop and present pathways to engagement and advocacy to a variety of community stakeholders;  

• Explore educational and career opportunities

Individuals who are interested in applying should email Katrina Lashley, Program Coordinator, at LashleyK@si.edu for more information. Applications are due by January 20, 2023.