Check out the Fairmount Stories project which came out of our partnership with the Engagement Lab at Emerson College and their Transforming Narratives for Environmental Justice initiative!
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Gratitudes and Celebrations for Engagement Lab at Emerson College (Part 4 of 5) Last year we had the opportunity to replicate our Social Impact Initiatives model that we created for TNGV and pilot it with a new issue -- environmental and climate justice. We launched the Transforming Narratives for Environmental Justice initiative in the Spring 2023 semester with a highly committed interdisciplinary team of faculty and a handful of incredible organizational partners, including Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative, GreenRoots, Inc., Speak for the Trees Boston, and Zoo New England. Though the issue was different, the aim was the same -- How might we center those most impacted by environmental injustice and climate change in storytelling and solution-building for a more hopeful future? This was a whole new area for us to explore and understand in our city. So we approached the first year as simply that - exploration! With our partners we explored tree equity, transit justice, food access, youth engagement, conservation, and so much more. In a time when it’s easy to get discouraged and anxious about our climate and environmental crises, these classes and their creative projects were such a breath of fresh air. We caught a glimpse of what is possible when we come together with the goal of renewing hope in our collective climate future. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside such amazing faculty, students, and partners, and I have no doubt that they will carry this work forward in their own ways beyond the Engagement Lab. Here are a few projects that came out of TNEJ last year! Fairmount Stories, an interactive website for transit justice: https://lnkd.in/exk8hryn The Future is Food, a short cooking video highlighting food justice efforts in Chelsea: https://lnkd.in/ekQ2AneX A Birder Mystery, a performance where animals teach about conservation https://lnkd.in/ed_ZpJvT A Tree's Story, a short film about humanity from a tree's perspective: https://lnkd.in/eZ_duSsh