This curriculum has been grounded in New York’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Framework. CR-S aims to help “educators create student-centered learning environments that: affirm racial, linguistic and cultural identities; prepare students for rigor and independent learning; develop students’ abilities to connect across lines of difference; elevate historically marginalized voices; and empower students as agents of social change.”

Students assume the role of a fictitious community volunteer organization member with a mission of providing free legal advice to residents. Students are tasked with helping the residents of Cancer Alley determine how they might fight against the chemical manufacturers running operations in their area. Students will take on the roles of medical Researchers, environmental scientists, Policy Analysts, Legal Advisors, andAdvocacy Managers. They will work towards a goal of combining their knowledge to confront the stakeholder companies that they choose to name in a fictitious lawsuit in a fictitious pre-trial meeting as they try to attain the best outcome for the residents of the River Parishes.