Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative receives grant to introduce environmental literacy component
April 28, 2026 • General
The Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative, a program that involves students and faculty in expanding educational access to people within the criminal justice system, and the Environmental Studies program recently received a grant from the Henry David Thoreau Foundation to infuse environmental education and wellness into its curriculum.
The $39,835 grant will support “Roots of Renewal and Reentry: Empowering Undergraduate Environmental Educators to Build Environmental Literacy and Wellness Pathways for System-Involved Learners,” a student-designed and student-led undergraduate project that will engage incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners in the Greater Boston community in environmental literacy, nature appreciation, and the health and wellness benefits of positive interaction with the natural environment.
Rosalind Kabrhel, associate professor of the practice of legal studies, and Colleen Hitchcock, professor of biology and environmental studies, are joint program directors on the project, which will be implemented in Kabrhel’s new course, Carceral Realities, in the fall.
The idea for the environmentally-focused project stemmed from BEJI's existing work with the formerly incarcerated when they begin reentry, Kabrhel said. The reentry program includes a gathering around the time of the program’s graduation When the event has been outdoors – a bird-watching tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery, for example – faculty noticed how impactful the experience was for students, and how curious they were about what they were observing, Kabrhel added.
“Alongside the environmental harms inherent in prison spaces, incarcerated people have very little exposure to nature and the environment,” she said. “We wanted to help these learners reengage with the natural world, and appreciate the health and wellness benefits from this engagement. I am so grateful to Professor Hitchcock for collaborating with BEJI on this project, and to the Thoreau Foundation for helping us make it a reality.”
