Environmental Engagement Workshop Series
As of 2024, SPP has restarted offering workshops within several Washington State Prisons. While we work on re-establishing monthly series at several facilities, we have been bringing in “one off” workshops to several facilities like the Washington Corrections Center, Stafford Creek Corrections Center, and the Washington Corrections Center for Women. These workshops have been focused on a variety of topics including composting, tree top ecology, nature drawing, and indigenous practices.
Glimpses into our workshops where experts from the community share their knowledge and expertise with prison staff and students. Photos by Emily Passarelli.
More than 250 guest scientists and practitioners from more than 140 organizations have shared their expertise in the program: see our Thank You page for recent guest experts. Scientists and community members active in science and sustainability are invited to share their passion and knowledge with incarcerated individuals at one or more facilities.
Typical workshops last about 90 minutes. Topics have included climate change, energy and biofuels, animal track identification, wetlands, environmental justice, green building, native plant identification, butterflies, composting, and scientific illustration, just to name a few. We advertise each topic ahead of time so that students can prioritize attending the sessions most interesting to them.
The most successful and engaging workshops offer lots of time for discussion — our students ask great questions! Other welcome offerings include hands-on activities, specimens to examine, writing, diagramming, drawing, handouts, worksheets, audio or video clips, photographs, and demonstrations. Think about varied ways to share your own excitement for the topic, and be ready to challenge them and have a great time. If you’d like more guidance on developing a workshop, please see SPP’s guidelines for prison workshops.
To learn more about the workshop series, or if you’re interested in providing a workshop, please contact spp@evergreen.edu.
SPP blogs on the Environmental Workshop Series:
Workshops in the COVID-19 Era (2020)
(Before COVID19): Octopus Kicks off the Workshop Series at MCCCW (2020)
When Nature Meets Art (2019)
Origin Story of a Compost Program (2019)
Rethinking the Landscape of Incarceration (2019)
Wolves: More like Humans than You’d Think! (2018)
Cross Pollination: Violet Program Presents in the Workshop Series (2018)
Astrobiology for the Incarcerated – Washington (2018)
Workshop series expands to WCC! (take two) (2018)
Long Live the Kings! (2018)
Climate Change Symposium in Prison: Incarcerated people creating solutions (2017)
SPP, Allies, and Friends: Thank you and goodbye! (2017)
What do the students get from SPP lectures Part Three: Session at the Women’s Prison (2017)
What do the students get from SPP lectures? Part Two: Session at the Men’s Prison (2017)
What do the students get from SPP lectures? Part One: Surveys Say…! (2017)
Lecture Series Coordinators 1, 2, 3 (2017)
Creative Illustrations for Monarch Butterfly Conservation (2016)
Princess Remington and Pele: Royalty in a prison classroom (2016)
Nothing like an octopus in prison! (2016)
It was a Toad-ally Ribbiting Lecture with the Special Offenders Unit (2016)
Lecture Series Expands to Shelton (2016)
Sustainability… in Prison? SPP Coordinator and MES Graduate Candidate, Tiffany Webb, shares her experience of working in prisons (2015)
WCCW Sustainability Workshop (2014)
WCCW’s Science & Sustainability Lecture Series: An Inmate’s Perspective (2013)
Beekeeping Behind Bars (2013)
Lecture Series Update (2012)
WCCW Winter Lecture Series a Success (2011)
Lectures Captivate Washington Corrections Center for Women (2010)