Environmental Citizenship Institute (ECI)

Program

Community Empowerment Skills: Developing Environmental Citizenship Skills
Scott Carlin
Using a case study of an actual recent high school graduate who decided to do something about climate change, students will learn how to play a similar leadership role in their community. Students will learn about the hands on skills they need to acquire to engage local businesses, decision makers and the media in the cause. Scott Carlin is an Associate Professor of Geography in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science and is one of New York's more prominent advocates for sustainability. He received a B.A. degree from Brandeis University and his Ph.D. in Geography from Clark University.

Invasive Plant Species on Long Island
Jane Jackson
In 2007 both Nassau and Suffolk Counties passed legislation making illegal the sale and distribution of 63 invasive plant species. But land protection requires stewardship, too, and one of the most important parts of stewarding land is control of invasive species which are, after habitat destruction, the biggest threat to Long Island's native landscapes. After a PowerPoint presentation that will help students identify some of the biggest culprits, the class will walk around campus to identify invasive species existing there and discuss what can be done about them. Jane Jackson is the Associate Director of Stewardship at the North Shore Land Alliance, an organization that protects open space and fosters a conservation ethic across the villages of the North Shore. Jane holds B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Vermont and a M.S. in Conservation Biology from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.

Time, Continuity and Change: Long Island History and Heritage
Natalie A. Naylor
Students will find out how land and sea have shaped the lives of Long Islanders from Brooklyn to Montauk in agricultural, maritime, and other activities. Horse racing, the American Revolution, slavery, lighthouses, windmills, whaling, the Long Island Rail Road, Gold Coast estates, pioneering aviation flights, and diverse architecture are all aspects of Long Island’s past which is a microcosm of the nation’s history - “an America in miniature.” Natalie A. Naylor was on the faculty of Hofstra University for more than thirty years, where she taught Long Island history and other courses in American social history. She was director of the Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra from its founding in 1985 until she retired in 2000. Dr. Naylor received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and her M.A. and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Long Island’s Threatened Shoreline
Vic DiVenere
Students will learn how waves, tides, and storms affect our shorelines, and about the kinds of coastal structures and management strategies that can be used to combat coastal erosion and flooding. Students will also learn about our current understanding of global warming, how global warming causes rising sea level, and how much the oceans may rise in upcoming decades. Finally, we will discuss what we, the citizens of Long Island can do and should do about the threat to our shorelines. Vic DiVenere is an Associate Professor of Geology n the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at C.W. Post. Dr. DiVenere’s expertise is in plate tectonics, environmental geology, global climate change, and natural disasters. Dr. Di Venere received a B.A., B.S. and M.S. from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Partnering to Transform Dumps into Public Parks
Richard Kirk Mills
The work at the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, a former 46-acre dumpsite in the Hackensack Meadowlands is comparable to similar projects here on Long Island. Drawing on the Teaneck Creek example, students will learn how partnerships across diverse communities can transform toxic environments into safe and productive ones by employing narrative techniques and engaging in extensive collaboration with scientists, environmentalists, historians, local schools and governments. In so doing activists can help change perceptions, facilitate rehabilitation projects, and raise questions about how future development can be sustainable. Richard Kirk Mills is a Professor in the C.W. Post Department of Art. Professor Mills has worked on a diverse range of art projects in northern New Jersey focusing on environmental changes. He received a B.A. and an M.F.A. from City College, City University of New York.

Called to Action: Wetland Restoration/Preservation Projects
Lillian Ball
Students will learn about successful efforts to treat water pollution through innovative approaches using permeable pavement and native plants on Long Island’s North Fork. She will show her interactive sculptural installations about preservation, restoration and related issues such as storm water remediation and sustainable technologies. Emphasis will be on cooperation with scientists, public officials, and local stakeholders to inspire greater civic involvement. Lillian Ball is a media artist and environmental activist working on wetland issues in Long Island as well as internationally. A multidisciplinary background in anthropology, ethnographic film, and sculpture inform her work. She has had an ongoing appointment to the Southold town Land Preservation Committee since 2006 and has received 2 successful Fish & Wildlife Grants for North Fork projects. Most recently, she taught “Environmental Art Activism” at the Cooper Union School for Science and Art in NYC.

Institute Facilitation
Iftikhar Ahmad and Michelle Szpara
Iftikhar Ahmad is an Associate Professor in the C.W. Post School of Education.
The focus of his research is citizenship education. He has published a book on citizenship education and also articles in research journals including Teachers College Record, Social Education, The Social Studies, Educational Studies, and The Journal of Aesthetic Education. Professor Ahmad currently serves as President of International Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies. Professor Ahmad received his Doctorate in Social Studies Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Michelle Szpara is an Associate Professor in the C.W. Post School of Education. Her major research interest is teaching diverse populations. Dr. Szpara has published numerous articles in major scholarly journals such as The Social Studies, Applied Linguistics, Social Education, The Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching and Research, and Educational Studies and has presented her work at local, state, national, and international conferences and symposia. She authored a large grant project at the Educational Testing Service and was the consulting grant writer of the Teaching American History Project. Dr. Szpara received her Doctorate in Education Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania.