The Environmental Justice (EJ) Freedom School is a two-week educational-experiential program offered to high school students in the Chicagoland area to develop local school climate action plans. The EJ Freedom School program will equip participants with the skills and tools to articulate, advocate, and develop climate adaptation and mitigation plans. Each summer, the program educates thirty 9-12 grade youth about the long-term impacts of ecological contamination and provides them with the skills to organize and advocate groups of people for a clean and healthy world for all while prioritizing underserved communities.

Through learning adventures with community environmental advocacy partners about ecological issues and their impact on communities, the students will develop climate and environmental literacy to identify environmental problems, anthropogenic and biological causes of climate change, impacts, and solutions. By creating individual and collective agency, students and teachers identify and develop action-oriented solutions for their school communities. Students will become climate change champions for their school community and local environment through EJ teach-ins inspired by their climate action plans. EJ Freedom School will consist of Chicago Public School educators leading high school students through a carefully curated series of activities to learn about the health of Chicago’s air and water quality alongside leading environmental advocacy groups.

EJ Freedom School Goals:

1. During the EJ Freedom School, students and teachers will develop climate and environmental literacy to identify environmental issues, anthropogenic and biological causes of climate change, impacts, and solutions.
2. Students will develop social and emotional intelligence and skills to process feelings about climate change and reflecting, collaborating, negotiating, and organizing towards climate action.
3. Students will identify and develop individual and collective agency to address individual and collective climate impact of air and water pollution in underserved communities.
4. Students will advance skills and practices to identify and develop action-oriented solutions, climate change mitigation and adaptation plans.
5. Students will develop skills to disseminate information and school climate action plans to school district, various stakeholders, and the public.
   

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Reimagining Freedom Schools for the 21st Century

EJ Freedom School Partners