Community Engagement and Education for Developing and Implementing Scio Township’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Plan

Presenters: Alicia Kawamoto, MS (EJ); Kyle Dwyer, MS (EPP); Anna Ostermeier, MS (BEC); Zoey Scancarello, MS (EJ); Whitney White, MS (EPP, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Raymond DeYoung

Location: Scio Township, Michigan, USA

Client: Scio Township Planning Commission's Environmental Sustainability Task Force

The student team collaborated with Scio Township’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force to support the development of the township’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (ESCAP).

The team developed and implemented a community engagement strategy, which included a public input survey and key interest group interviews to provide feedback regarding current Scio Township sustainability practices and goals. The key interest group interviews provided essential information from experts, while the survey provided useful input from everyday residents. By connecting with community members throughout the survey distribution process, the SEAS team developed an extensive list of contacts, including homeowner’s association leadership, co-housing representatives, and other key interest groups.

This data was compiled into a report and distributed to the taskforce working groups to be used for future development of the ESCAP. The team also created the Ongoing Community Engagement Recommendations report which addresses lessons learned from the initial engagement strategies and outlines recommendations for future community engagement efforts as Scio Township works towards its climate and sustainability goals.

Presenters: John McClure, MS (EJ, EPP); Megan Husted, MS (EJ, EPP); Skyler Kriese, MS (EJ); Anna Bunting, MS (EJ, SusDev); Dinah George, MS (EJ)

Advisors: Dr. Paul Mohai; Dr. Michaela Theresia Zint; Ember McCoy

Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Client: State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Office of Environmental Justice Public Advocate (OEJPA)

Given the sustained advocacy and large body of research on environmental justice in southwest Detroit, The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) sought out an Environmental Justice grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address disparate impacts and environmental burdens in the state.

The proposal for this grant included the creation of a 48217/southwest Detroit module from the state’s in-development Environmental Justice Screening Tool, MiEJScreen. This Detroit module, housed within the larger grant to generate a community resiliency plan for the southwest Detroit area, was then developed into a master’s project for SEAS students.

Our research addresses indicators of environmental justice and the relevance of community resilience to the lived experience and advocacy of community members in the Metro-Detroit area. In this study, we combine existing data to visualize these indicators in Metro Detroit through an EJ Screening Tool and recommendations for a community resilience plan. Using a mixed-methods approach, we utilize semi-structured interviews and survey analysis to collect data that, a) informs the indicators, methods, and communication materials for the southwest Detroit EJ Screening Tool, and b) guides recommendations made to EGLE on the creation of a community resilience plan for southwest Detroit.