Teach-In for the Climate

Last year, close to 400 faculty from 17 colleges and universities across the province donated class time to host discussions about climate change. In just a two week period we engaged over 20,000 students in important dialogue about climate solutions and how their schools can contribute. Data collected from the Teach-In was compiled in to two reports, which has been shared with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, the Ministry of Advanced Education, and the faculty and student groups who participated. They can be found on our website www.go-beyond.ca.

Because of our growing international partnerships, and our commitment to global climate equity, this year's Teach-In will add an exploration of the concepts of climate justice, and Canada's role in creating a just global solution to climate change.

As with our previous Teach-Ins, goBeyond will provide sample discussion questions to help focus the dialogue, and help classes identify the unique contributions they can make to this challenge.  For example, a psychology class can discuss climate change in relation to behavioural change, and an engineering class can discuss new innovations in clean energy technology. This year, we have structured participation through 4 different options or "tiers" to account for differing abilities of faculty to set aside valuable class time (see below for more details)  Faculty participants will be provided with a video introduction to the topic, some suggested back ground reading for classes, and feedback mechanism for cataloging results.

To sign up as a Teach-In Faculty or to help promote the event, email info@campusclimatenetwork.org

If you have any questions, please email Tria Donaldson at tria@campusclimatenetwork.org

2010 Teach-In
Tier 1: 15- 20 minute discussion
1. How can our discipline be part of creating a just and equitable climate solution?

Tier 2: Full class discussion
1.    What is climate justice and what does it mean?
2.    How does climate justice relate to your discipline?
3.    What is Canada’s role in developing a just and equitable climate solution?
4.    What would climate justice look like on a global scale? What about national and local scales?
5.    How can your academic discipline contribute to achieving this vision?

Tier 3: Assignment
1.    Include a discipline-specific assignment in your course curriculum. 
a.   E.g. have education students create an activity that introduces climate change problems to kids and teaches them how to minimize their impacts.
b.   http://www.campusclimatenetwork.org/wiki/Education#Courses
Tier 4: Regional Solutions Pilot Project
1.   How can our region be climate neutral by 2050?  Use a collaborative, problem-based approach to address a current climate-related issue in your region that is relevant to your discipline.  Guidance/ resources provided on a case-by-case basis.

a.   E.g. have students collaborate on a solutions-based project and have presentations of findings and recommendations to city/ town council
b.   http://www.campusclimatenetwork.org/wiki/Education#Courses