"Everyone Can Help the Earth": Environmental Dispositions of Elementary Students in Los Angeles, California's South Bay

Abstract

Abstract:Early environmental exposures profoundly affect children's development of pro-environmental attitudes, yet the perspectives of children from historically environmentally disadvantaged neighborhoods are rarely heard. This study sought to understand children's environmental dispositions in the South Bay Region of Los Angeles County, California. We held focus groups with 109 third- and fourth-grade students across four public elementary schools. The young students in the South Bay conveyed largely positive eco-perspectives and suggested a lifelong interest in environmental sustainability. Placing their responses within the school's environmental context suggests that unfavorable local conditions do not hinder the development of eco-affinity or eco-awareness.