------ Forwarded Message
From: "MCKENNEY, CRAIG" <cmckenne@highline.edu>
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 13:43:55 -0700
To: "Margaret Shield" <mshield@toxicfreelegacy.org>
Subject: RE: Pollution in People Speakers...?

Margaret,
Thanks for your response!  We are finalizing our fall class schedule right now, so I cannot confirm a time, but our quarter begins on Sept 25th.  I would love to do the presentation on the first day of the quarter in order to contextualize/ establish relevance for why our Environmental Chemistry/ Speech work is important to the students -- ie, it is important because it directly affects them.
 
The class, as I mentioned above, is a combined study between Environmental Chemistry and Speech.  We have taught the class twice now, and in those quarters, we had two big projects:
- the first time, students worked for the Washington Environmental Council to develop documentation for use in lobbying in Olympia.  They then presented the documentation verbally to the WEC at the end of the quarter, talking about their design decisions and the content.
- last quarter, students worked on four projects: 1) students tested Aveda's claims that their product have a Net 0 impact on the environment, 2) students revised the WEC documentation and presented on e-waste during Highline CC's Earth Week event, 3) students continue work on a plan for a marine protected area at Redondo to be presented to the Des Moines city council, and 4) students developed video games for the city of Federal Way to teach aqeuous chemistry/ water quality concepts to elementary aged students.  I am in the beginning stages of getting a project together, and if you have any thoughts on how our students might help your work, that would be great.
 
The school itself has a social justice theme with an emphasis on authentic, active learning.  Developing projects and having speakers is a huge part of that process.  I am interested i nthe areas you mention (what these toxic chemicals are and their associated health concerns, how we did the study, the study results, and actions to take on both the personal and policy levels to reduce our exposure to these toxic chemicals), but I'd like maybe the last part on policy to be a brainstorming/ question for the students, with perhaps some real solutions presented after they have an opportunity to think about it.  In addition, I wonder if you have thought about projections for other parts of the world where our e-waste is shipped...what levels of toxicity are found in those people (perhaps something for the students to work on)?
 
I would love to have a study participant on hand and someone working on the non-profit side of things if possible.  That way, it is even more real to see a person who went through the study and has the 39-ish number of chemicals in his/ her body.
 
For more information on Highline Community College, please visit www.highline.edu <http://www.highline.edu> .  For more information on Puget Sound Early College, please visit http://earlycollege.highline.edu.
 
Should you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!
 
Thanks,
Craig
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Shield  [mailto:mshield@toxicfreelegacy.org]
Sent: Wed 6/28/2006 1:20 PM 
To: MCKENNEY, CRAIG
Cc:
Subject: Re:  Pollution in People Speakers...?

Hi Craig-
Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back  to you.  Potential speakers about our Pollution in People project include  some of the study participants, as well as non-profit staff who work on toxic  chemicals issues.  We can focus the talk to the interests of the  audience, but likely topics would be: what these toxic chemicals are and their  associated health concerns, how we did the study, the study results, and  actions to take on both the personal and policy levels to reduce our exposure  to these toxic chemicals.  Who I can arrange to speak for your class  really depends on timing.

Could you tell me a bit more about your class  and when you’d like to have this  presentation?

Regards,
Margaret

--
Margaret  Shield
Coalition Coordinator
Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition




On 6/23/06 5:33 AM, "MCKENNEY,  CRAIG" <cmckenne@highline.edu> wrote:

I am writing  about the possibility of a speaker coming to my Environmental Chemistry/  Speech class to discuss the "Pollution in People"  project.
 
Could you please provide more  information?

 
Thanks,
 
Craig  McKenney
 
Puget Sound Early College/ Highline Community  College