Integrating Climate Justice with Mathematics: Detroit Urban Water Project

Project Summary

Algebra students at Renaissance High School applied mathematical concepts to examine climate justice issues related to clean water access and flooding in urban Detroit communities, with particular focus on impacts to marginalized neighborhoods.

Detailed Story

Algebra 1 and 2 students at Renaissance High School integrated mathematics with environmental justice by applying data analysis, exponential functions, and quadratic functions to investigate clean water access and flooding concerns in Metro Detroit. Located in an area surrounded by several bodies of water including the Detroit River, students learned to critically examine how climate impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities through a combination of mathematical analysis and climate justice education. The project began with students analyzing a 2025 article from Planet Detroit entitled “Michigan Climate Action Plans Must Better Address Marginalized Communities: Study,” which highlighted research from Michigan State University demonstrating the need for climate action plans to incorporate voices from underprivileged Detroit communities and address racial and economic inequalities. Working in pairs, students transferred their algebraic skills to real-world applications while developing as global citizens and critical thinkers. They used digital tools like Desmos.com for graphical analysis and climate simulators to visualize data patterns and potential solutions. The project extended beyond the classroom when students partnered with the school’s Green Club to participate in an Earth Day 2025 campus cleanup, connecting mathematical concepts with tangible environmental action. For their final assessments, students conducted research, created data visualizations, and delivered oral presentations that proposed practical solutions to local flooding issues, including a community warning alert system for residents in vulnerable neighborhoods. The project helped students recognize the connections between climate justice, racial equity, and mathematical literacy, while also addressing challenges in accessing primary data sources and conducting community interviews. Perhaps most significantly, students developed community education scripts to engage fellow citizens about Detroit’s climate impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and urban farms/gardens, transforming abstract mathematical concepts into tools for social and environmental advocacy.

Impact Statement

The project successfully integrated mathematical concepts with climate justice education, helping 35 algebra students apply abstract skills to real-world environmental challenges affecting their own communities. Students developed practical solutions addressing local flooding concerns, including a warning alert system tailored to the needs of Detroit residents in vulnerable areas. The mathematical analysis of climate data built critical thinking skills while highlighting how environmental impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities. By creating community engagement scripts about climate impacts on BIPOC neighborhoods and urban farms/gardens, students developed communication tools to advocate for environmental equity beyond the classroom. The classroom visit from a Planet Detroit representative provided students with connections to local environmental journalism and expanded their awareness of career pathways combining mathematics with climate advocacy. For many participants, this was their first exposure to The Climate Initiative’s programming, opening doors to continued environmental engagement through mathematics.