Earth Force Presentation:

Using TRI Information to Educate the Next Generation

2009 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Training Conference

 Overview
• Earth Force TRI Project Objectives
• About Earth Force
• Methodology
• Test Groups
• Project Timeline & Assessment

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

 Project Objectives

Project Objectives:

• Create a TRI curriculum at 6th grade literacy level

• Incorporate Community Action and Problem Solving

(CAPS) Model

• Test tool with two different user groups:

A. Denver Public Schools
B. Pueblo, Colorado EPA CARE Project Community
About Earth Force
Earth Force engages young people as active citizens who improve the
environment and their communities now and in the future.

Earth Force Local Offices:

•Capital Region
•Philadelphia, PA
•Denver, CO
•Erie/Pittsburgh, PA
•Charleston, SC
•West Palm Beach, FL
•St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay, FL
•Chicago, IL
About Earth Force

Earth Force trains teachers to implement a six-step

service learning model to engage young people.
 Methodology
Earth Force CAPS Process
Local Earth Force offices and affiliates offer Community Action and Problem Solving (CAPS), a program that
trains and supports educators in the core Earth Force process. Local support helps educators connect to the
community, creating hands-on learning experiences for youth.

The Six Steps of CAPS:

•Community Environmental Inventory

•Issue Selection

•Policy and Community Practice Research

•Options for Influencing Policy and Practice

•Planning and Taking Civic Action

•Looking Back and Ahead

 Methodology
The Six Steps of CAPS:

Launch Step 3
Step 2
Intro Step 1 Policy &
Issue
Inventory Practice
Selection
Research

Step 6
Step 5
Looking Step 4
Back & Taking Strategy
Ahead Action Selection
 Methodology
Preparation

•Develop Questions

•Overview Key Concepts for 6th Grade Understanding

 Methodology
Incorporating TRI into CAPS Process:

Using TRI Explorer to create Geography and Industry Reports that can be incorporated in
the Inventory, Policy & Practice, and Taking Action CAPS Steps.
 Methodology
Case Study:
Suncor Energy, Denver, Colorado
• TRI Participant
• Integrated Energy Company
• Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta
• Pipeline and Refining Operations in Denver

Case Study Steps:

8.Young people would explore the TRI data
9.Visit the Suncor Energy Facility or have a Suncor
Employee Guest Speaker
 Test Groups
Denver Public Schools
• Multi-year partner with FrontRange Earth Force
• Many schools in the district were part of an EPA CARE Grant in Denver
• Established summer teacher training event
• Annual Earth Summit at Denver Public Zoo
 Test Groups
Pueblo, Colorado EPA CARE Level I Community

PuebloCARES:

Community-based partnership committed to identifying

and researching environmental issues within Pueblo County.

Partnering Members made up of local businesses,

organizations, and neighborhood associations.

PuebloCARES Goals:

To identify potentially harmful toxic exposures within

Pueblo County, then seek solutions with the help of
federal funding and access to U.S. E.P.A. resources.

Become a self-sustaining entity by fund-raising, additional

grant-writing, and on-going community involvement and
support.

Photo of Pueblo, Colorado steel mill operations.

 Test Groups
Pueblo, CO
Pueblo, Colorado CARE Community
Investigation Topics:
Salt Creek Community
• Clean Water
• Air Emissions
• Waste Burning
• Radon
• Black Mold
• Public Transportation: Bus Fleet Retrofits
Rocky Mountain Steel Mill
• Construction: Road and Natural Dust, Fly Ash
Project Timeline & Evaluation

Implementation Schedule:

March-May, 2008
Curriculum Development
Test Groups Review Curriculum

June 2008
Earth Force Summer Institute, Denver, CO
TRI Teacher Training

Pueblo, CO EPA CARE Community Training Workshop(s)

August 2008
Completion of Project
 Evaluation
Evaluation Tools
• Review of curriculum throughout process by key constituents (Earth Force Professional Development and
Technical Assistance Team and Pueblo CARE Community Staff & EPA Partner).

• Surveys and focus group meetings with Denver Public Schools and PuebloCARES

• Student and Community user feedback

Evaluation and Planning Examples
About Earth Force
 Questions?

www.earthforce.org