Clemson University Science Outreach Center develops graphic novel to inspire youth-led STEM Justice initiatives

By Renée Lyons,  Director of Science Outreach for Clemson University’s College of Science

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's new “Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society” (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase the systemic change young people can make in their communities when their afterschool programs support them to layer action onto their STEM learning. If you would like to know more or submit a blog about your youth action program, please contact us.

Thanks to funding provided by the National Science Foundation, Clemson University’s Science Outreach Center has partnered with Urban League of the Upstate and the Concerned Citizens of Tillery to develop a graphic novel and after-school STEM curriculum called My STEM My Story. The goal of My STEM My Story, which will be co-developed with African American middle school youth, is to build young people’s capacity to use STEM for the good of their communities.

Art provided by Brittany Kelly, graphic artist for When spiderwebs unite.

The project’s graphic novel, When spiderwebs unite, tells the true story of Gary Grant and his community’s decades long battle for environmental justice in rural North Carolina. When hog waste from industrial hog farms began to pollute their community in the 1990s, the community of Tillery partnered with UNC epidemiologist, Steve Wing, collecting scientific data to prove their health was being harmed. The efforts of the Tillery community halted the expansion of industrial hog farms, which were being disproportionately placed in communities of color across North Carolina and resulted in regulations requiring industrial hog farms to find cleaner alternatives for hog waste.  

When spiderwebs unite details the initial hesitation of the Tillery community to engage in a scientific study, despite the potential good the study could do for their community. Tillery community members had memories of powerful institutions treating African Americans as if they are inferior and less valuable members of society because of the color of their skin. Their own experiences and the historical abuse of African Americans in the name of science (i.e., Tuskegee Syphilis Study) led them to be mistrustful of scientific research/researchers. They initially feared exploitation and harm may come if they collaborated with a scientific researcher from a powerful university.

When spiderwebs unite documents how Steve Wing, a white university epidemiologist, earned Tillery’s trust and how Tillery community members reclaimed hope by focusing on their ability to use science to advocate for a healthier environment. When spiderwebs unite gives voice to a community story and exemplifies how members of a community can collaboratively use STEM to address inequities that impact their lives.

The My STEM My Story after-school curriculum utilizes the community of Tillery’s experience as a sign of hope and a model for African American middle school youth to observe how STEM can be used as a tool for social justice in their community. Using environmental sensors, youth assume the identity of scientists, explore questions of personal and community interest, plan and conduct scientific investigations, and explore socio-political explanations for their study results. The results of these student-led investigations are then used for social transformation and to support students’ science agency towards making change. Youth, with support from undergraduate Clemson University mentors, use the results of their studies to propose and enact community action plans, promoting systemic social change within their school and community.

This fall of 2023, a cohort of 25 middle school youth from Littlejohn Community Center will engage with the first draft of the graphic novel and STEM Club curriculum. The youth will participate with the content as learners and form a youth advisory board that provides the novel and curriculum design teams with vital feedback to ensure the final products meet youth’s needs and reflect their voices. The My STEM My Story team will rely on youth to know what tools and experiences they need to become positive advocates for change in their communities. The final graphic novel and STEM Club curriculum will be shared with other Urban League chapters across the Unites States, creating a network of empowered youth who are self-valued leaders and citizens of their communities engaged in social justice reform.