Week 1 Project

Creating Equitable Outdoor Spaces - Reflection and Project

Objective: The objective of this assignment is to explore the concept of acknowledging bias and its role in creating equitable outdoor spaces. Students will engage with the topic through various mediums, allowing them to express their insights and understanding creatively.

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the concept of bias, particularly implicit bias, and its impact on societal structures, including outdoor spaces. You may refer to the provided readings or conduct additional research for context.

Instructions: 

For this assignment, you can choose a medium that aligns with your strengths and preferences. You can choose from the following options or propose an alternative with your instructor's approval:

Written Assignment: Create a 500-800 word written piece.

Presentation or Video: Create a presentation or a video (approximately 5 minutes) that visually and/or audibly communicates your reflections on the topic. You can use slides, images, and your voice to convey your thoughts.

Art Project: Create an art project that represents your understanding of how acknowledging bias contributes to equitable outdoor spaces. This could be a drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, or any other form of visual art.

Other Creative Medium: If you have another creative idea for expressing your thoughts (e.g., a podcast episode, a poem, a song, a short story, a comic strip), feel free to propose it to your instructor.

***Presentation and Explanation: If you choose a medium other than a written or video assignment, include a 250-word explanation (or a 2-minute video/audio explanation) of your project. Explain how your chosen medium represents your thoughts on acknowledging bias and equitable outdoor spaces.

Guiding Questions:

Personal Reflection: Reflect on your own experiences and observations. How have you noticed instances of bias play out in outdoor spaces or organizations? What impacts have these made on the organization or community as a result?

Equitable Outdoor Spaces: Explain what outdoor spaces mean to you. What is your definition of the outdoors, and how it relates to your experiences? How might this differ for people who live somewhere else (coastal, land-locked, island, mountains, urban, rural, etc)

Creating Change: Often mandated DEI trainings are rooted in implicit bias training. These programs may actually end up causing more harm than addressing the root causes of problems. Explore some of the strategies outlined in the linked article. Knowing what you have learned about bias and its impacts, what changes would you make to your current or previous DEI/HR/staff training?