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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