Rachel Merriman-Goldring

Art for the Environment: An Exploration of Non-Curricular Interdisciplinary Environmental Ed 

My thesis is on non-curricular environmental education, with an emphasis on environmental education that incorporates art, graphics, and data. My research question is: To what extent can an interdisciplinary approach to environmental education better communicate the science of climate change to communities that aren’t typically reached?

My honors thesis will center on scholarly research on non-traditional non-curricular environmental education. I will also study recent research on environmental psychology, which emphasizes the role of combining approaches that appeal to both emotional and analytical responses. My thesis will also involve original data collection. I will conduct sociological interviews with environmental artists, environmental educators, and individuals studying environmental attitudes and climate communication. I will write a traditional academic honors thesis, but will also translate my findings for a broader audience, through white papers and a website. 

Climate change is a key global threat of the 21st century. The time is ripe for new approaches that allow educators to better explain the science of climate change. 

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