Topographies of Hope: Social Justice, Outdoor Environmental Education, and Accomplice-ship

Abstract

This chapter explores outdoor environmental education (OEE) and opportunities for OEE educators to contribute to topographies of hope relevant to issues of social (in)justices. As the opening quote encourages, the chapter adopts a hopeful tenor to envisioning future possibilities. The chapter offers insights into social justice and OEE. The concepts of microagressions, unconscious bias, privilege, oppression, and intersectionality are reviewed with examples provided. The chapter explores the skills and growth-oriented mindset of many OEE educators and the ways in which these capacities can positively contribute to (re)landscaping future terrains. The final section offers both individual and programmatic recommendations for engaging in social activism, with a focus on intentional social justice accomplice-ship and advocacy.