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San Diego, CA

Addressing Environmental Impact & Social Inequities Through Public Art

Grant Amount

$11,000

Year Awarded

2025-2026

Project Coordinator

Cat Chiu Phillips

Grant Type

Team

Local Association

San Diego Education Association

Focus Area

Environmental Justice

About the Project

This project supports student-driven public art initiatives across four San Diego Unified School District sites, focusing on environmental impacts tied to social inequities. Through hands-on civic art experiences, students will investigate how environmental issues disproportionately affect marginalized communities and use public art as a platform to raise awareness and inspire meaningful change. By combining environmental education, civic engagement, and artistic practice, this project equips students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become socially responsible, future-ready leaders who use the transformative power of public art to advocate for environmental and social justice.

Meet the Project Coordinator

Cat Chiu Phillips

Cat Chiu is a public artist and the Visual & Media Arts Resource Teacher for San Diego Unified School District, where she supports UTK–12 educators in integrating arts, sustainability, and civic engagement into the curriculum. She leads district-wide initiatives that connect students to public art as a tool for social change, with a focus on environmental impacts and climate justice. Through her current CTA IFT–funded project, she is partnering with community artists and organizations to engage students in creating public art installations for public parks, state parks, and libraries.

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