Episode 31: Equity in environmental education

With Sylvia Hadnot and Derek Hoshiko of E3 Washington

How can we make environmental education a more equitable space? To what extent is citing limited resources a lack of creative, inclusive thinking? What is tokenism and how can it be avoided? Which narratives about equity are both inaccurate and counter productive? Sylvia Hadnot and Derek Hoshiko are the co-chairs of E3 Washington — the Washington state affiliate of the North American Association of Environmental Education — and they have been at the leading edge of some innovative work on equity and inclusion. Just as permaculture farming is more resilient and sustainable than monoculture farming, so is a diverse community that includes all voices and the unique perspectives they bring.

Guests:

Sylvia Hadnot is a Seattle-based multicultural educator, artist, and systems thinker. With several years of educating, entrepreneurial, and artistic experience — from working with students in the King County Youth Detention Center to coaching soon-to-be teachers in anti-racist curriculum design to launching her own benefit events company at age 22 — Sylvia brings real-world knowledge and experience into her work supporting leaders with creating and maintaining the systems they need to build more liberated, powerful, sustainable, and agent individuals and communities. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Sylvia grew up in the Beacon Hill and Shoreline neighborhoods. She now lives on Lake Union with her black cat, Jabari. You can learn more about Sylvia and her work at www.haseverything.co  and contact her with any inquiries for projects or collaborations at sylvia@haseverything.co.

Derek Hoshiko is an organizer with For the People. For more the twenty years, Derek has managed groups of volunteers, activists, and entrepreneurs. In 2012, after witnessing continued inaction to stop global warming, he shifted his focus to climate action. In 2015, he journeyed over one thousand miles on a bicycle pilgrimage from Seattle to the tar sands to witness and learn about the suffering caused by fossil fuel extraction. He now heads Rapid and Just Climate Action, a project to stop global warming by 2030, and mentors Whidbey Island-wide youth climate justice coalition United Student Leaders. Derek serves on the boards of E3 Washington, the South Whidbey Schools Foundation, and Salish Sea Cooperative Finance. He has worked for change at many organizations such as Greenpeace USA, Climate Solutions, Cascadia Climate Collaborative, YES! Magazine, Seattle Good Business Network, and Web Collective, among others.