Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity
Abstract The environmental workforce remains largely White, despite calls to diversify. There exists a narrative that environmental education programs can enact change by cultivating Connection to Nature (CTN) among individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). We contend t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Discover Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00358-6 |
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| _version_ | 1846147472306470912 |
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| author | Jillian Kara Kimberly Coleman Leon Walls |
| author_facet | Jillian Kara Kimberly Coleman Leon Walls |
| author_sort | Jillian Kara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The environmental workforce remains largely White, despite calls to diversify. There exists a narrative that environmental education programs can enact change by cultivating Connection to Nature (CTN) among individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). We contend that more work is needed to understand the full range of factors that keep individuals who identify as BIPOC from environmental degree programs and careers. We conducted survey research to explore the relationships between CTN, stewardship towards the natural world, environmental career aspirations, and identity. We administered our survey to high school students enrolled in a federal college readiness program, called Upward Bound. Our results are important for environmental education programs to consider because they suggest that fostering CTN is a promising leverage point, but not a sufficient strategy on its own for supporting individuals who identify as BIPOC as they consider careers in the environmental fields. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-154dc62daaf843bbbf543d4a26e53b56 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-5525 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-154dc62daaf843bbbf543d4a26e53b562024-12-01T12:40:57ZengSpringerDiscover Education2731-55252024-11-013111210.1007/s44217-024-00358-6Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identityJillian Kara0Kimberly Coleman1Leon Walls2State University of New YorkUniversity of VermontUniversity of VermontAbstract The environmental workforce remains largely White, despite calls to diversify. There exists a narrative that environmental education programs can enact change by cultivating Connection to Nature (CTN) among individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). We contend that more work is needed to understand the full range of factors that keep individuals who identify as BIPOC from environmental degree programs and careers. We conducted survey research to explore the relationships between CTN, stewardship towards the natural world, environmental career aspirations, and identity. We administered our survey to high school students enrolled in a federal college readiness program, called Upward Bound. Our results are important for environmental education programs to consider because they suggest that fostering CTN is a promising leverage point, but not a sufficient strategy on its own for supporting individuals who identify as BIPOC as they consider careers in the environmental fields.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00358-6Environmental educationEquityConnection to natureCareer aspirationsSurvey research |
| spellingShingle | Jillian Kara Kimberly Coleman Leon Walls Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity Discover Education Environmental education Equity Connection to nature Career aspirations Survey research |
| title | Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity |
| title_full | Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity |
| title_short | Exploring the relationships between connection to nature, environmental stewardship, career aspirations, and identity |
| title_sort | exploring the relationships between connection to nature environmental stewardship career aspirations and identity |
| topic | Environmental education Equity Connection to nature Career aspirations Survey research |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00358-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jilliankara exploringtherelationshipsbetweenconnectiontonatureenvironmentalstewardshipcareeraspirationsandidentity AT kimberlycoleman exploringtherelationshipsbetweenconnectiontonatureenvironmentalstewardshipcareeraspirationsandidentity AT leonwalls exploringtherelationshipsbetweenconnectiontonatureenvironmentalstewardshipcareeraspirationsandidentity |