Example Projects
Food Sustainability
A team addressing food sustainability in the region might read philosophical essays from Wendell Berry’s “Bringing it to the Table” and Bell Hooks’s “Belonging” alongside histories such as William Cronon’s “Nature’s Metropolis” and novels like Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.” These readings speak to the cultural implications of their problem. Related readings like these would inform creation of an interactive visualization that might explore topics such as the encroachment of housing and development on farmland in the region along with digital stories about its cultural, environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The project would be shared online and students would present their work in events held at the Extension Service.
Environmental Pollution
A team looking at environmental pollution might use statistical analysis of public health records to compare the emergence of pollution-related ailments in communities that are adjacent to factories with those that are distant. The team could read books (ex: “When Smoke Ran Like Water” by Devra Davis), read journal articles, and watch films (ex: “Erin Brockovich,” Universal Pictures) to get a historical perspective of environmental pollution and the tactics some businesses use to hide the effects of their byproducts. Students might conduct research in chemistry and biology to examine pollutant concentrations in air, water, and soil. The team would partner with Renew Missouri to develop a map-based website that pairs pollutant data with digital stories about their effects designed to reach policymakers.
African American Reading Practices
A team tasked with diverse African American reading practices would read multiple kinds of compositions, including poetry, short stories, blog entries, comic books and data journalism. The team would cover works by poet Kevin Young, novelist Toni Morrison, legal scholar Michelle Alexander, journalist and comic book writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, and more. The readings give us a chance to consider literacies and African American subject matter from different contexts. The materials would give us opportunities to create mixed media exhibits for various communities of readers and viewers. We would partner with East St. Louis Schools and the East St. Louis Public Library in order to design distinct cultural programming.
