Two Clinton School students will attend and present at the State of Environmental Justice in America 2010 conference this week in Washington D.C.
The students will share about their Clinton School Practicum project working on a community renewal effort with Arkansas Baptist College, a Historically Black College in inner-city Little Rock. The title of the presentation is “Putting the Neighbor Back in the ‘Hood.’”
During the past year, the students worked with college president Dr. Fitz Hill and his staff to develop a comprehensive model for rejuvenating their community that can be replicated in similarly-situated communities.
The students who participated in the project come from diverse backgrounds, including Nathanial Owen of Sherwood, Ark., LaTrenia Byrd of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Ratnasari Dewi of Jakarta, Indonesia. Owen and Dewi will present at the conference.
“Working with the Clinton School of Public Service has been an invaluable experience to all parties involved,” Hill said. “Although it was a collaborative effort, it was indeed an act of service on behalf of the three Clinton School students that worked very thoroughly to prepare a document that others can refer to to do similar things in improving their community.”
The 2010 conference will also to highlight the partnership between the federal government and the Historically Black Colleges/Universities and other minority serving institutions.
The conference will bring together individuals interested in environmental justice from diverse groups at this noteworthy juncture in the history of environmental justice, through a process of dialogue and learning from each other. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be in attendance.
The students will also present at the 35th Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concern conducted by Neighborhoods, USA on May 26-29 in Little Rock.