Our School at Blair Grocery: A Case Study in Promoting Environmental Action Through Critical Environmental Education

Abstract

Despite wide agreement on the goals of environmental education (EE), the promotion of action is still considered contentious. Critical environmental education (critical EE) teaches students to combine critical reflection with the ability to engage in local action to address social/environmental problems. This article examines a critical urban farming school in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward for how student action is addressed. Results found that critical learning within an egalitarian, youth-centered community located in a disadvantaged area produces students who are more enlightened and empowered to create change. However, concerns regarding funding and safety led staff to not adhere to maintaining an egalitarian ethic, undermining the individualism and unpredictability that critical EE thrives upon and producing “disconnects” in students’ education.

Keywords:

• action competence
• critical environmental education
• critical theory
• environmental action
• youth activism

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank Dr. Sarah Becker for her tireless effort, words of wisdom, and being the voice of reason in guiding me through multiple editions of this article.

Notes

1. Which are ecological foundations, conceptual awareness of issues and values, issue investigation and evaluation, and the “superordinate goal” of environmental citizenship.

2. For a better understanding of enlightenment see Horkheimer & Adorno (2002, pp. 1–34).

3. Turner was given multiple copies of this article to review my depiction of him and give his consent.