Each fall the ENVS department hosts a symposium surrounding engagement across borders of a singular discipline. This year we were lucky enough to have guest speaker Daryl Davis come to campus. As a black man who was welcomed to KKK rallies he was a very powerful speaker surrounding change. Suggesting that most change comes from personal accounts and in many instances the members of these racist organizations had felt alienated and never known any difference, Davis was able to convince many to leave many different racist groups. The form of engagement he found most influential was a simple conversation.
When asked about environmental engagement Davis did not have too much to go off of but still suggests types of engagement that have worked in past situations. One way he thought may be a good way to approach environmental issues would be to educate people younger and focus on the young growing generation. Recently in researching my concentration, Extreme Sports impact on a Sustainable Future, I came across one organization that was doing similar things to what Davis suggested. Protect Our Winters, POW, is an organization fighting climate change stemming from a love of winter sport. Their rides alliance filled with over 60 industry pros contains a section of engagement in local schools. As they look to engage “the youth one school at a time,” POW targets younger generations in hopes of promoting change. One of the reasons Davis gave for peoples racist behavior was in part due to their upbringing and knowing no other way. Some ‘facts’ Davis heard were not in fact true yet these people took them as truth. Entering in this stage of a child's upbringing may be a crucial step to broaden their views and recognize that our earth is changing rapidly. POW does this using their own formula, “Show the kids some epic skiing and riding footage, show them that we as professional athletes are passionate about fighting climate change, and they get stoked to help out.” This is a piece of engagement that I was lucky enough to have experienced as a child, but I am aware not everyone got to. I could watch the same footage over and over again until I would be able to tell you every trick in the movie. This over time led to cleaning and helping maintaining historical trails in the backcountry. Once again this is a technique Davis employed both due to the conversation created as well as targeting youth. Since the youth may not have their minds made up about controversial topics it makes it easier to shift focus and open them up to new ideas and possibilities. POW is able to target the coming generation in hope of engaging and promoting future engagement. POW is able to do this through extreme sport engagement. Since these types of sports are so dependent upon a healthy environment it becomes crucial to work towards solutions. In their organization I see some similar methods that Davis employed and discussed at the symposium used to promote environmental engagement. “Engaging the Youth One School at a Time.” POW, April 18, 2016. https://protectourwinters.org/engaging-the-youth-one-school-at-a-time/.
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