Stewardship of nature is based on not only environmental literacy but also environmental identity. While environmental literacy is rooted in education, environmental identity comes from experiences and action. For today’s youth to become the next environmental stewards, they need education, some experience in nature, and the opportunity to address problems that they identify. To address these needs, Louisiana high school students are participating in a program that uses ArcGIS StoryMaps and ArcGIS Online to solve problems and develop their own environmental identities.
The EnvironMentors Program
For more than 10 years, the Louisiana State University (LSU) College of Coast and Environment has worked with an LSU-based program called Louisiana Sea Grant, to address major marine and coastal challenges through education. Louisiana Sea Grant is part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program—a federal/university partnership that promotes a healthy coastal environment and economy by bringing together science and communities.
Louisiana Sea Grant combines education with law and policy, communications, research, and management programs. It also funds applied research projects that provide members of coastal Louisiana communities with education and information that address the state’s social, economic, and ecological connections to water.
This LSU partnership led to the creation of a chapter of EnvironMentors, a mentorship and research collaboration aimed at increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics studies accessibility and environmental literacy among urban high school students. These students engage with LSU undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers during weekly after-school meetings, with field trips across Louisiana and guided research projects that coincide with each student’s interests. Meetings focus on collaborative indoor and outdoor activities to teach the scientific method, introduce environmental issues, and build community.
During field trips, students learn how to measure and record environmental data on topics such as water quality, air pollution, and aquatic ecology. Research projects stimulate students’ interest while allowing them to move through the scientific process, including research development, data collection, analysis, and presentation of their findings.
Meeting a Need: Creating the GeoStewards Program
In 2023, two EnvironMentors leaders at Louisiana Sea Grant conceived an after-school program called GeoStewards. It has become the EnvironMentors chapter’s capstone—a course where students can expand their expertise in their EnvironMentors studies. Meant for high school students who have participated in EnvironMentors for at least two school years, GeoStewards builds on EnvironMentors focus areas—research, communication, and environmental literacy—via GIS training as well as expanded opportunities for research and science communication.
In the GeoStewards program, students learn GIS mapping theory and apps, increase their skills and confidence in science communication, and have opportunities to innovate in research projects. Students conduct independent research projects; create ArcGIS StoryMaps stories; and build science communication portfolios with infographics, stand-alone maps, and digital media. Through this process, students learn how to communicate their research in new ways. They also receive a GIS certificate upon completion.
The GeoStewards program began in the 2023–2024 school year with four high school students. The students explored key geospatial concepts such as latitude/longitude coordinates and vector data versus raster data. They worked with GeoInquiries—instructional activities that use interactive maps in ArcGIS Online to enhance academic instruction on GIS standards-based topics. They conducted a mapping activity in which the students sat outside, drew a picture of their location, and converted every feature in the picture to vector data. This spurred the students’ curiosity about how geospatial data is created, the decisions that need to be made when gathering geospatial data, and how to use data to tell a story.
The students learned how to take GPS waypoint measurements during a scavenger hunt, collected vegetation ground-cover data along a transect at a local park, and learned about symbology while collecting tree circumference data. In these activities, students explored the importance of location data and spatial awareness, and even discussed how their studies led them to see the world differently. For example, when they drove down the street, they considered how they would classify an object they saw—as a point or as a polygon.
The students also created infographics for a peer-reviewed journal article and then provided each other with feedback on design, content, and creativity.
Finally, they learned the power of science and data storytelling. To do this, they completed research projects and presented their findings and infographics at the international Ocean Sciences meeting in New Orleans. Their work addressed topics such as carbon sequestration in coastal and urban environments in Louisiana.
Mapping Out Their World
By incorporating GIS technology, these students were able to see the value of using geospatial data for analysis and communication. This helped generate questions and inspire ideas while highlighting the importance of studying where in addition to how and why. As the students asked questions, followed their curiosity, and embraced new challenges, they began to see themselves as not just learners but researchers. As one student said, “Before this program, I didn’t look at environmental science as a field of as much variety and versatility as it is. Now that I know, I know that I can go into any field, and it can be related to environmental science.”
Overall, the GeoStewards program is helping inspire the next generation of leaders to value and participate in collaborative stewardship. By providing space for students to reach beyond people and connect with nature and land in their community, the program—which has three participants in the current school year—builds environmental identities and empowers participants to become the world’s next environmental stewards.
