projects
Landing page for all of the individual project pages that the students have individually designed. Click on a project to go to that page.
in alphabetical order by project name. note: this website is living; some of these pages may not be completed yet!
A Local Policy Perspective: Creating a More Equitable Future Through Environmental Advocacy
by Karinna Papke
For my Capstone Project, I chose to focus on the intersectionality between environmental policy and other policy issues like: education, health care, and environmental justice. I wanted to gain a better understanding of how organizations work to include marginalized voices in the policy making and community building processes, so I talked to Rob Altenburg, Director of the PennFuture Energy Center and Annie Regan, Senior Program Manager at PennFuture and ReImagine Appalachia’s Campaign Coordinator. I created a podcast using my conversation with Annie, which was highly influenced by my meeting with Rob. Our discussion includes dialogue about her work at ReImagine Appalachia, potential environmental policies that could help underserved communities, how Annie approaches working with environmental justice communities, and some of the barriers to entry that prevent people from participating in the policy-making process
Conversations on Reproductive Justice in Environmental Studies
by Susannah Broun
My project focuses on the important intersection between reproductive justice and environmental justice. I spoke with Matt Dean, the Environmental Justice Program Manager at New Voices for Reproductive Justice to learn about this organization and the work they do. I edited our conversation down to a short podcast segment that covered topics such as the need for a healthy environment to raise children, the differences between reproductive justice and the traditional choice movement, Pennsylvania specifics of this topic, and more. The conversation brings up fascinating points that support the conclusion that reproductive justice is a necessity to be included in environmental studies.
Conversations on the Present and Future of Environmental Education
by Sammy Burchell
My project is a podcast that combines two candid interviews with very different stakeholders in the future of environmental education (EE) with my own experience as an environmental studies student and future environmental educator. While I had initially set out to propose a specific, novel solution to improve the accessibility and completeness of EE, I felt that my conversations had much more to offer as complete dialogues than cherry-picked moments supporting my existing idea. The participants in the interviews were people close to me: my former high school librarian and mentor, Jane Holt, and two of my younger cousins. I chose these participants because I believed that our shared sense of place, both in the natural world and places of learning, helped to ground the conversations and provide connection that is often missing from academic interviews. I hope you enjoy and can reflect on your own experiences in, and hopes for the future of, environmental education.
COP 26 and the Observer Status: Reflections and Suggestions
by Kyra Hall
For my Capstone project, I decided to reflect back on my experience and critically consider my observations and feelings at COP 26 this past November. The first part of my prose offers commentary on the lack of representation of certain countries and peoples, in the presence of overwhelming numbers for others. I consider the UNFCCC framework, the accessibility of the conference, and the impact that those factors have on the outcome. I then shift gears from focusing on the nature of the conference and larger structure to offer suggestions to the ENVS department on how to strengthen our COP program in the spirit of intersectional environmentalism and bolster the preparatory course to better prepare and inform student delegates before attending. I am infinitely grateful for the COP experience that I had and the educators I learned from and I want to ensure the same, if not richer, experience for future student delegates.
Makings of Home: A Five Sensory Immersive Experience of Phoenix, Arizona
by Aaron Urquidez
I find that when you tell someone where home is for you they might already have preconceived notions of that place. Most of the time when I talk about Phoenix people can only think of the extreme heat or the rich and white suburb of Scottsdale. I got tired that no one understood why I found Phoenix so special, but how could they? They have never seen Phoenix through my eyes! So I decided that for my capstone project I would have a five sensory experience of Phoenix so people can get a taste of the desert!
Our Stories of Healing: Centralizing Personal Voices in Care and Compassion
by Juliana Lin
In our fast paced and mainstream world that centralizes capitalistic ideals, rewarding production and exploitation, care is often marginal in the dominant Western thought systems many of us are familiar with. This project makes an effort to recentralize healing and rest as forms of resistance to this intended destruction of our bodies, minds, stories, and ultimately our humanity. Through storytelling, this project creates a space for intentional reflection and reconnection to our identities while actively acknowledging the systems of violence that have harmed us. Join us as we talk through the stories of our healing.
Personal Work
by Chantal Reyes
My project is a personal narrative about my work with Campus Coalition Concerning Chester (C4) along with my co-leader Tyler White and the connections made between community partners through institutions like Swarthmore College. This video highlights the context and campaign against the Covanta Incinerator.
Questions of Water Resources and Modeling Bias
by Bethany Bronkema
My project is an informational sheet on the water resources in Pennsylvania and some of the regulation and distribution challenges related to them. An important focus to this sheet is on the differences between rural and urban water challenges and how data collection and analysis can play a role in how these challenges are addressed. Rather than an attempt to identify the specific ways that these challenges manifest themselves, this project is more of an investigation into the questions I still have surrounding the ways that data can enforce bias in environmental modeling.
Reflecting on Society through Fictional Storytelling
by Sidhika Tripathee
My project is a recording of a reading of a fictional story, “Justice” by Mariame Kaba, followed by a guided meditation. Throughout and after the guided meditation, I ask questions about the importance of fictional storytelling, and its impact on hope. My aim to help listeners think of tools to reimagine a more just future and ways to create loving communities of care.
Reflecting on Sustainable Development
by Alicia Contrera
My project is an exploration of the topic and concept of Sustainable Development with a focus on its impact on marginalized communities. We were taught that development is always good and in fact, a goal. With this project I wanted to bring the focus onto the stories that are often left behind when telling the goods of development. Aiming for development does not precisely have to be a wrong ideal, however, with every project in the name of development it is worthwhile reflecting on who’s benefiting the most and whose lives are being harmed in the process.
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What We Owe to Each Other and the Future
by Theo Grayer
My project highlights the diversity of ways Swarthmore students are trying to do good in the world. Recognizing that there is no one right way to make change, this project seeks to serve as a “menu of options” for listeners who want to do good. The project took the form of three recorded conversations with student leaders one campus. I have tried as much as possible to preserve their words.
Alec’s Project
by Alec White
