Doreen Abubakar: Using Your Authentic Voice to Create Change

Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APCivics, Health, Career Skills

What it is

This video of an interview with Doreen Abubakar, founder of CPEN, examines grassroots community activism in Connecticut, how to engage in effective activism at the community level, and the challenges faced by minorities when they're leading a non-profit organization.
Students will participate in a discussion to synthesize their learning about the importance of connections to nature, the value of persistence, and meaningful community engagement.

Positives

The discussion questions allow students to think deeply about their place in the climate movement.
The interview is thoughtful, engaging, and inspiring.

Additional Prerequisites

It may be helpful if students understand systemic racism in the United States.
It may benefit students to understand the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).

Differentiation

Students can watch the video at home to prepare for an in-class discussion considering the construction of their community and how it impacts their health and well-being.
This video can fit within a larger social studies unit on systemic racism in the United States.
This video can support a lesson on the health impacts of systemic racism and how to reverse these negative impacts.
This video can augment a classroom discussion where students share experiences of not being taken seriously because of their identity.
Students can study the benefits and examples of urban green spaces.

Community activism is an important part of climate solutions. The climate science discussed in this video is accurate.

Hosted on drawdown.org

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Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Subjects: Civics, Health, Career Skills
Other types: Activity - Classroom
Language: English
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Connecticut
Provider: Project Drawdown
Authors: Project Drawdown
Published: January 15, 2024
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · HS-LS2-7. + 4 more

Core Standards legacy

HS-LS2-7.HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
D2.Civ.5.9-12D2.Civ.5.9-12 Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
1.12.31.12.3 Analyze how environment and personal health are interrelated.