Virginia Chance School Fifth Graders Explore Environmental Health with Envirome Institute Researchers
November 3, 2026
Students strike a pose at the Trager MicroForest during their Envirome Institute field day.
Earlier this fall, fifth graders from Virginia Chance School spent a full day crossing Louisville. They met with scientists, activists, nonprofit leaders and elected officials to learn how where we live shapes how healthy we are. The trip kicked off the students' yearlong research project, "Who Gets to Build the Future?" Over the school year, they'll investigate environmental justice, climate change and the ways people of all kinds can help shape the future of their city.
Researchers from the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute led three of the day's stops.
What's in the air?
The day started with a driving tour of Rubbertown. Afterward, Dr. Alex Carll, associate professor of physiology, talked with students about common air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter. He also covered pollutants of particular concern in nearby neighborhoods, including those around Cane Run and Lee's Lane. Students learned that some pollution spreads across a whole region, while other pollution can build up in neighborhoods close to industrial sites.
The group discussed the history of the Cane Run power plant, which switched from coal to natural gas in 2015. They also talked through a real public-health dilemma: being outside and active is great for kids, but on days when air pollution is high, it can also mean breathing in air that could be harmful.
Dr. Carll showed students how scientists detect and measure pollution, using air monitors, environmental samples and biomarkers found in blood, hair and even teeth. He pointed out that many of the most important pollutants can't be seen at all. He wrapped up by explaining how air pollution can disrupt the heart's electrical rhythm. Each student got a handout showing how researchers read an electrocardiogram (ECG). The students were highly engaged and asked questions throughout.
Building a healthier Louisville, one decision at a time
At the Shawnee Library, Dr. Lauren Anderson of the Institute's Center for Healthy Air, Water and Soil led students through Build Louisville's Future, an interactive simulation she developed. Working in pairs, each team represented a different group of residents in a fictional Louisville neighborhood. With a limited supply of resource tokens, teams picked projects like housing, transit, green space and community facilities. Then they had to deal with surprises such as extreme weather, pollution and new job opportunities. Dr. Anderson played City Council Chair and managed the shared budget, so teams had to negotiate with her for resources and change their plans as new information came in.
The students' takeaway was simple and honest: "Developing a city is hard." They said they hadn't realized how much conversation and negotiation go into public decisions. They also saw that one neighborhood's wish list sometimes must be weighed against another neighborhood's more urgent needs. In other words, a healthy city takes listening, compromise and careful thought about who benefits from each decision.
An afternoon at the Trager MicroForest
After lunch and a movement break at the Trager MicroForest, students spent the afternoon exploring how the environment, human health, science and civic action connect. Dr. Ted Smith introduced them to environmental medicine and how the air, water, soil and other elements of our surroundings shape our health. He then used the Trager MicroForest itself to demonstrate the urban heat-island effect. They discussed how trees cool their surroundings, the Miyawaki method for planting dense urban forests, biodiversity and how researchers measure what added green space does for people, wildlife and the city.
Metro Councilmembers Andrew Owen and Jennifer Chappell talked with students about the role of local government and how communities and elected officials can work together on environmental challenges. Morgan Grubbs of TreesLouisville explained why Louisville's tree canopy matters, what threatens it and what's being done to protect and grow it. Together, the conversations encouraged students to see their city as a living laboratory, where science, community action, and public policy can work together to create healthier places to live.
Planting seeds
Community engagement is one of the Envirome Institute's core commitments, and sometimes that means engaging the youngest members of our community. As one of the Chance School teachers put it, the goal of the day was "not to give students all of the answers, but to expose them to different places, perspectives, problems and people throughout Louisville that will spark their own questions."
Today's curious fifth graders could become tomorrow's civic leaders, community advocates and researchers, and we were glad to be part of where that starts.
The Envirome Institute thanks Virginia Chance School teachers Lianna Hill and Sarah Waters, DEIBJ Coordinator Faye Colon, and the Office of Christina Lee Brown for organizing the day.
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