East Erie Satellite Event: Groundwork Erie: A New Paradigm for Workforce Development and Environmental Justice
In its nineteenth month of operation, Groundwork Erie has more than doubled its workforce, providing competitive wage jobs to youth in the urban core. Executive Director Aaron K. Kerr and the board of directors have set up a vehicle in Erie through which youth can become skilled conservationists and environmental leaders while earning a competitive wage. This presentation will provide details and explore economic models for a new paradigm of workforce development in Erie County.
Location:ECAT (Erie Center for Arts and Technology) – 650 East Ave., Ada Lawrence Community Room, Erie, PA 16503
Date/Time: Thursday, July 18, 7-8:30PM
Admission: FREE
Aaron K. Kerr, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Philosophy at Gannon University where he teaches Philosophy of Communication, Environmental Ethics and Philosophy of Place, the latter two he teaches outdoors at the urban agricultural site on Gannon’s campus. These courses earned Kerr the University’s service-learning teaching award in 2021. He has published essays and articles on aesthetics, the ethics of technology, Thomas Merton, The Grateful Dead and the philosophy of communication. A book, Encounters in Thought: Beyond Instrumental Reason (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2019) explores four intellectual virtues and practices that enhance encounters with both nature and culture. His latest book, Mediations Between Nature and Culture (Forthcoming Lexington Press) proposes a restoration of regionalism in politics, environmental advocacy and education. With his wife, Gretchen, he is a part of the racial justice learning community for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, PA.
