This is the third installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses how stating assumptions can enable progress in policy-making when there is uncertainty about the causes of a problem.

This is the second installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses how even when evidence is inclusive, scientific approaches can provide value in policy-making.

This is the first installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses why she believes a community-driven process can provide innovative new solutions.

On January 26th, ESAL hosted an event to discuss with city officials and lab manager the responsibility of explaining the science of COVID-19 and the local interactions that come with it. The discussion includes interactions between science and politics, ways to make connections with the community, and informed engagement in local government.

The BLOCK Project is a grassroots program confronting the challenge of skyrocketing rent and property values. The project builds detached accessory dwelling units in backyards to house people. To date, the project has built 10 homes, with another 5 anticipated within the next year.

After the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, many of us are concerned about the state of American democracy. ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg shares her thoughts on the importance of election integrity. She suggests steps we can each take to engage with our local governments about this issue.

On December 2, ESAL co-hosted “Creating Safe Post-Pandemic School Systems”, a virtual panel with the Architectural Engineering Institute. Panelists discussed risk management, engineering solutions, and practical considerations for reopening schools.

The Conservation Federation of Missouri's (CFM) mission is to ensure that the state’s wildlife, natural resources, and rich outdoor heritage are preserved through advocacy, education, and partnerships. ESAL spoke with Colton Zirkle, education and communications coordinator at CFM, to learn more about their work advocating for the Missouri outdoors.

Biophysicist Leah Cairns was a voter protection volunteer in the 2020 election as part of a "ballot curing" team in North Carolina. She shares her thoughts on how engaging locally can help fight voter suppression.