Chagrin Valley Times Reports EJ Semester Sparks Changemakers

Kaisa Strautnieks ‘26 and Asale Jones ‘26 were both featured in the story and talk about how the EJ program has sparked new passion in them for everything from climate change to policy research, to green architecture, and more. Kaisa is working with Redhouse Studio Architecture to learn more about using mushrooms to create more sustainable housing. She and her classmates are working to help this organization expand its followers through their social media platforms. Asale, through her work with partner Action for Climate Emergency (ACE), is heading to the statehouse later this semester to lobby in support of installing solar panels in communities across Ohio.

Environmental Justice Teacher Josh Johnston was also quoted in the story where he highlights the advocacy work he is doing with students through writing. “They are responsible for writing in the way they choose, and to authentically publish it out in the world in a way that makes change.”

Angela Yeager, Director of the Environmental Justice Semester, also commented. “It has been a dream for some time,” she said of the program, the first and only environmental justice interdisciplinary semester program that exists. “Laurel decided we will do this, make it happen and move forward.” The setting at Laurel’s 150-acre Butler Campus is the perfect backdrop for such a program, which also incorporates a variety of field trips and learning opportunities off campus.

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