Environmental Science Through Art Teaching Our Community

Who We Are

A group of scientists, educators, and artists working with students to answer questions about the relationship between the environment and human health. We are focused on students in the Salinas Valley and surrounding communities.

Our focus includes the human health impact of:

• Plastics

• Climate change

• Agricultural practices

During three consecutive years focusing on plastics, climate change, and agricultural practices, we are: 

• Creating a hands-on science research projects

• Interpreting the science through art projects

• Creating of workshops for teachers aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

We aim to create an exhibition of the arts created in the response to these science projects and compile resource of ideas generated by us and others for other educators to use.

ESTA Across Our Region

This year, students and teachers from across California are currently collaborating on solutions to Climate Change. Their projects target multiple sectors from Project Drawdown, a leading source of approaches to address climate change.

Student Resources

Are you interested in solutions to microplastics/plastic pollution and climate change? The earth’s climate is changing. While the planet’s climate has changed before, this time is different. People are causing these changes, which are bigger and happening faster than any changes that modern society has ever seen. We can observe changes in our communities, the environment, our society, and ecosystems. Here are resources and ways to connect and make a difference. You have a right to know what environmental stressors you are exposed to and how to protect yourself and your communities.You can design a future to address the realities of climate change and your community.

Teacher Resources

Are you a K-12 teacher interested in environmental science and communicating science through art? We are building a coalition of scientists, educators, and artists to develop a curriculum and train teachers and students living in underserved agricultural communities about the relationship between the environment and human health. We are focusing on three core challenges: climate change, ocean plastics, and food systems. Cutting-edge environmental health education aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will be enhanced with arts-based inquiry to increase pathways to sciences and help diversify STEM fields in the Salinas Valley region and beyond.