Project ID: CTEDD 021-10
Author(s): Joowon Im, University of Texas at Arlington
Co-Author(s): Alan Klein, University of Texas at Arlington
CTEDD Funding Year: 2021 Educational RFP
Project Status: Complete
Abstract
Minority and low-income populations have historically been disproportionately underrepresented in STEM education and jobs. The educational attainment gap for underrepresented minorities graduating high school and earning a college degree, especially in the STEM field, continues to remain wide. Teaching theories of environmental justice and transportation planning in a school curriculum helps to empower the youth of communities by addressing local issues concerning transportation plans and environmental justice and ultimately, helps students to develop skills to make important life and career decisions.
To address the education gap and promote student success in STEAM Education, the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at UT Arlington partnered with two high schools in the City of Dallas and developed a 8-week lab course curriculum on GIS, known to be useful for career development. This GIS lab course demonstrated interdisciplinary approaches between transportation planning and environmental justice. It also aimed to expose young students with diverse backgrounds (e.g. Hispanic, other minorities) at the early stages of their higher education to interdisciplinary learning and research to promote academic and career success.
The curriculum was developed jointly by the research team with assistance from the high school teachers to ensure replicability by the teachers beyond the lab course. The lab course included GIS workshop with real-world data, guest lectures by transportation and environmental planning experts, and a site survey with emerging technologies (e.g. a drone). The findings from the lab course were intended to help students to initiate practical analysis for their existing/new courses (e.g. architectural studio, geography & technology) addressing transportation and environmental justice issues of accessibility around the Trinity River in the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) metroplex. The findings were also fed into the IUS’s (Institute of Urban Studies, UTA) larger research that documents various aspects impacting the well-being of the Upper Trinity watershed.