Sponsor: Dr. Ann Rivet

Department: Math, Science, and Technology 

Fellowship Site: Open to all students in NYC public schools

Number of Fellows: 2

Project Description: Climate change is the most serious threat facing our planet today. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists from the United States and other countries, estimates that human activities have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above preindustrial levels. If conditions remain the same, global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052. TC research shows that the majority of Americans support teaching climate change/global warming in K-12 schools (Pizmony-Levy & Pallas, 2019). Other reports, however, suggest that most teachers aren't actually talking about climate change in their classrooms; and fewer than half of parents have discussed the issue with their children (NPR/Ipsos polls, 2019). The emergence of Fridays for the Futures, an international movement of school students who take time off from class on Fridays to participate in demonstrations to demand action to address climate change, is a clear signal that youth are concerned and mobilized. In response to these developments, the Center for Sustainable Futures is launching a new project titled Climate Change Education for NYC: Youth at the Center. As part of this project, the Center will partner with the NYC DOE Office of Sustainability’s Youth Leadership Council to mentor and empower youth activists. The Center will also engage NYC K-12 parents on ways to better support their children in the context of climate change.

Zankel Fellows will work with NYC students who are already taking part in local initiatives, such as the Columbia Youth Climate Summit. The Fellows will serve as a bridge between TC/CU/Earth Institute and youth activists; they will help student-led groups to develop and implement strategies, coordinate events, etc. The Fellows will also help the TC Center with organizing 1-2 mini-conferences for parents. We believe this project is important because teachers and parents are not engaging youth, the social group who will suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, with the topic. This intervention, with a focus on the Bronx, will ensure that youth regardless of their socio-economic background, have the opportunity to engage with the most pressing issue of our time.

Skills Sought: Interest in working with middle and high school students; experience with informal and non-formal education; interest in sustainability and climate change; strong communication and presentation skills; and independent work.

Link to application: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/zankel-milman/zankel-fellowship/apply/