The "Other" Climate Issue in Environmental Education: How a Climate of Inclusion Impacts Racial/Ethnic Diversity

• In Event: 63.064 - Environmental Education Across Subjects and Milieus: Investigating Student Learning and Inclusive Climate

Abstract

This study utilizes a national sample of 343 interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) degree programs to examine how an inclusive climate for diversity may contribute to an increasing enrollment of students of color (SOC) in IES degree programs. Findings show that IES degree programs with higher levels of environmental justice content and more emphasis on community engagement in the curriculum are significantly more likely to report increasing enrollments of SOC. Student compositional diversity at both the degree program and institutional level, as well as state bans on affirmative action also significantly influence the enrollment trend of SOC in IES degree programs. The study has implications for creating inclusive IES degree programs to achieve greater racial/ethnic diversity within IES fields

Authors

• Juan Carlos Garibay, University of Virginia

• Shirley Vincent, National Council for Science and the Environment