Environmental quality, good design, and regard for health information bear much relevance for communities experiencing long term toxic damage and the associated health risks. Recent developments in data visualization, environmentalism, and sustainable arts show citizens' art, citizens' science and community-based innovation in these fields at the center of knowledge production. ‘DIY' research, which is both flexible and responsive to community issues and concerns; which uses open platforms and complex collaborations between experts, citizen scientists, artists, and others, is successfully bridging cultural gaps and inequities in the fabric of public learning. By examining contemporary models, this paper takes under consideration, how media literacy and community media-making, in the context of environmental arts and sciences, might enable underserved communities. Media literacy, community-based media and creative collaborations with scientists and artists are effective platforms from which civic engagement, participation, and direct production of community history are made. Both art and science link citizens' to the value of diverse and very personal sets of data. When coupled with digital literacy and digital media arts skills, the activities of art and science are duly empowered, have greater “reach” and learning benefits.

Read more at http://seadnetwork.wordpress.com/white-paper-abstracts/final-white-papers/environmental-equity-enabling-excellence-in-community-based-media-art-and-science-in-undersserved-communities/