This spring, students in the 200-level course Environmental Engagement are taking on one of the thorniest challenges in environmental work: bridging political and personal divides. Led by Assistant Professor Alana Rader, the class partners with area nonprofits, like Braver Angels and Oregon’s Kitchen Table, to build relationships across difference, practicing the art of listening and learning in polarized times.
Rader, who joined Lewis & Clark’s environmental studies program in fall 2024, brings a passion for building connections—both inside and outside the classroom. Her path to L&C stemmed from “wanting to find community” around the environmental issues she cares about. As a trained geographer who values working across fields, Rader found L&C’s interdisciplinary environmental studies program to be a great fit.
Inspiration for the course can be traced back to Rader’s own undergraduate experience. As a research assistant in a coastal erosion lab, she saw firsthand how “science-forward” projects often overlooked the human side of environmental issues. A public hearing on coastal erosion protections left her struck by how ill-equipped many scientists are to navigate people’s values, emotions, and complex viewpoints.
“In our current age, people who study land and resources need to understand the complexities that differing perspectives bring,” Rader explains. “Imagination plays a huge role in how land is managed. That’s how I framed the course … with the understanding that your view isn’t the only or best one. You have to be open to working with others.”
Building Skills Through Partnership
To help her students build those skills, Rader collaborated with Braver Angels Oregon, part of a national organization focused on bridging the partisan divide and bringing people together. Through a 3-week workshop led by Braver Angels staff, students learned how to recognize polarizing language—not just in others, but in themselves—and practiced communication strategies to foster understanding.
“The goal isn’t to change minds,” Rader says. “It’s to get to a place where you can actually hear each other.”
Kimani Johnson BA ’28 found the work both challenging and eye-opening. “I have very firm political views,” she admits. “I don’t see myself as a polarized person, but the depolarization workshops allowed me to not be too quick to judge.”
The workshops were supported by Rader’s Health + Humanities Community Connection Faculty Grant, and complemented broader coursework on depolarizing environmental issues, such as water quality and nutrient management—topics known for sparking debate.
Hands-On Experience Beyond Campus
The Environmental Engagement course included activities beyond the classroom. Rader’s students participated in a daylong field trip to farms throughout the Willamette Valley. As part of the experience, students engaged with farmers, ranchers, policymakers, and agriculturalists.
“They got hands-on experience applying some of these depolarizing tools in conversations they were having firsthand,” says Rader.
For Emilie Thoreson BA ’28, the experience tied directly into her work planning the fall 2025 ENVX Symposium, which will be titled Common Ground: How We Can Engage Across Difference With a Shared Love of Land. “We have to incorporate a great deal of depolarization tactics to find trust and common ground,” says Thoreson. “The Braver Angels workshops were great in helping to guide this process.”
Rader’s students also partnered with Oregon’s Kitchen Table (OKT), a nonprofit that brings diverse community voices into public decision-making. OKT’s current work involves collaborating with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on the state’s nutrient management plan, which addresses pesticide and herbicide use; food production and waste; and water quality.
Students organized and led their own public event: a Nutrient Management and Water Quality Conversation, hosted by OKT. Students facilitated discussions with fellow students, staff, and community members, gathering a wide range of perspectives on water quality in Oregon.
“It was an incredibly powerful event to be a part of,” says Thoreson. “We heard a lot of different views on what people are worried about when it comes to their water quality.”
The feedback and data gathered will help OKT and the DEQ to create public policy based on citizen commentary.
Shaping Future Conversations
Before the class partnered with community organizations, students spent the first month talking about what meaningful engagement really means. “Communication essentially becomes a form of symbolism, and it can lead to material action,” says Rader. “Framing and bridge-building through language are essential to moving conversations forward.”
Johnson agrees. “Depolarization allows us to become more empathetic toward one another,” she says. “It sensitizes us to other people’s experiences and concerns.”
Although this is the first time Rader has incorporated Braver Angels workshops into Environmental Engagement, she hopes it won’t be the last and sees building these skills as essential for any future environmental leader.
By the end of the course, Rader wants students to feel confident talking about environmental topics with people far outside their usual social circles. Thoreson shares that vision. “Depolarization can only occur if both sides are willing to listen and validate each other’s opinions,” she says. “Everyone wants their stories to be heard—and that’s an essential part of real engagement.”
Environmental Studies
