In today’s world, it’s easy to think of religion and science as being on opposite sides of the fence. But that idea misses the fact that they often have a lot in common—mainly, a focus on caring for people and the planet. Last year, 49 high school students from Baltimore got the chance to explore this connection through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s “Science and Faith” internship, in partnership with Temple X. These students came from schools like Baltimore Design School, Green Street Academy, Baltimore City College, and others, and even some county schools joined in.
They spent their time learning about the environment around them, meeting local leaders from both the environmental and faith communities, and gathering data from green spaces at two Baltimore churches. Along the way, they also tackled some challenging issues like racism and environmental injustice. For more info, see the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's newsletter article.