Our Earth Champions program is operated through The Hamer Project. Young girls aged 10-12 engage with the environment with credence to history, conservation and community activism. Our Earth Champions research environmental challenges and learn about the cultural contributions of Black women to environmental justice and conservation efforts.
Opportunities for community partners:
- Spring break day camp
- Engage youth population of Black girls – targeted to third, fourth and fifth grades, also recruiting middle school students for mentorship programming
- Experiential learning activities that serve science and history enrichment
About The Hamer Project:
The Hamer Project is based on the principles of communal ownership, Freedom Farms, and the work of Fannie Lou Hamer. Named in her honor, the project will advance initiatives centric to the holistic well-being of black girls and women by focusing on human rights education and community-building through a variety of clinics and workshops. A select group of facilitators will work within communities to support efforts to restructure systems and invest in sustainable means of survival and advancement.
Earth Champions
Spring 2020
Cohort
How to Become an Earth Champion at Home!
- Learn about your ancestors: Many of the foods we eat and prepare today were brought to America by enslaved African women. They braided seeds and grains in their hair to ensure their survival. Today, women are global contributors to how agriculture is grown, harvested, sold and distributed. If you had a fruit or vegetable today, it was most likely produced by a woman farmer.
- Identify gaps in local food industries: When a community is not close to a supermarket, grocery store or other source of healthy, affordable food, it has to rely on convenience stores or fast food restaurants to eat. Petition local businesses and lawmakers to create opportunities for better food options. Healthier foods mean healthier communities.
- Write and call your local politicians: Practice environmental justice by advocating for those in need in the communities you live in and love. For example, better public transportation systems improve access to healthy, affordable foods.
- Visit farmers markets: Purchasing fruits, vegetables and products that are made and produced where you live decreases the amount of time it takes to transport those goods, which reduces pollution in your community.
- Start a garden: Have you ever seen a seed grow into a plant? It's awesome! Imagine how awesome a whole garden of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs looks! Growing food at home is a great way to spend time with your family and friends and try new foods and recipes with them.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: We protect our environment and our neighborhoods by reducing the amount of trash we make, reusing common items such as plastic bags and recycling plastic and paper trash.
