Self-educating on technical issues

[Alma Lowry <alowry@sugarlaw.org>]

Communities faced with environmental problems, particularly low-income and minority communities that may not have environmental or legal expertise available within their community, need readily available, easily digestible information sources to help them understand the relevant technical and policy issues.   Two of the EPA's existing methods of helping communities educate themselves seem to be pretty effective: funding of self-help or training manuals developed and promoted by independent, non-profit or educational organizations and funding of technical assistance centers at major universities.

These methods appear to be successful, because the information comes from sources that communities generally perceive to be unbiased and credible and because the resources are available locally (manuals can be used anywhere and read anytime and technical assistance centers are scattered throughout the country).  Expanding these programs could be a productive means of helping communities educate themselves.  One thing I've often wondered is whether these resources could be expanded by tapping into the skills and energy of graduate students.  For example, EPA could look for funding to support community assistance centers through clinical studies in graduate programs in law, public health, environmental engineering and natural resource and environmental management) or development of educational materials by graduate students in environmental education or community organizing programs.  My question is whether community groups would find materials produced by students an acceptable alternative to materials produced by professionals.