Water, Food, Land and Health Justice = > Greener Schools

April 5, 2012

Below are links to various resources on health and food justice, food security and food sovereignty. Under each heading, resources are listed by publication date (most recent at the top), if available, or date of posting. 



Here are links to resources on climate justice and environmental justice and ecology.

Resources on Health and the Environment

Resources on Food and Food Justice

Resources on Land Rights, Agriculture and Farmers



GREENER SCHOOLS: The Greener Schools Initiative brings children in Detroit schools closer to nature. We believe that by instilling a sense of interconnectedness and love for the environment our youth can become advocates for their environment and their communities.

Click Here for Related News: GREENER SCHOOLS

MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS & SCIENCES (MEAS) LABS provide environmental justice education in the classroom through hands-on lessons covering subjects including biodiversity, air quality, water quality, food security, cooking, and Sharing Nature with Children. We currently have two labs at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy and Nsoroma Institute where students investigate local environmental issues, grow their own vegetables, sell plants to parents and teachers, and create nature themed or recycled art projects. We work closely with teachers in order to supplement their core subjects and align our lessons to Grade Level Curriculum Expectations.


THE UGLIEST SCHOOLYARD COMPETITION provides a way for Detroit public and charter schools to create their own natural environments and outdoor classrooms at their school. Winning schools receive a $10,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation for their outdoor classroom. A University of Michigan Landscape Designer teachers an introductory course in landscape design and the students themselves participate in the design and construction their own natural spaces in their schoolyards. Projects and designs have included a meditation path, a pond, a native plant habitat, and an interactive showcase for green technology.

GARDENING ANGELS: program is a partnership with the Luella Hannan Foundation through the Community Foundation's Senior Engagement Program. Gardening Angels brings youth and seniors together in partnership to work for environmental justice and healthy, sustainable communities. Through a process of sharing and learning, youth and elders explore environmental justice and food security issues; they work together in school garden projects; and young people document the histories of their elders to learn about their lives and the communities that shaped them. Activities include Learning Circles, Oral History trainings and recordings, gardening exchanges, and food justice lessons.