Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains

Day 1 

• Arrival and Welcome

Day 2 

• Orientation
• Empowering You(th) for Change
• The Science of Climate Change: Primer
• Afternoon activities include Pollinator & Plant Walk or Ultimate Frisbee

Day 3 

• The Science of Climate Change: Advanced Session
• CAP Time - Community Assessment and Collective Action
• Macros as a Proxy for Water Quality
• Climate Change Communication & Conversation
• Afternoon activities include: berry picking and baking tarts, Kickball, or attending the Vermont Symphony Orchestra

Day 4

• Tree Coring
• Biome Time
• Proxy Data Analysis
• Excursion to Lake Bomoseen, activities include:
  • Biological Survey
  • Water Quality
  • Turbidity and Coring
  • Weather and Site Sketch
• BBQ Dinner at Lake Bomoseen

Day 5 

• Climate Modeling & Projection
• Macros as a Proxy for Water Quality
• CAP Time - Community Assessment and Collective Action
• Climate Change in Your Community
• Afternoon Activities 

Day 6 

• Sustainable Development Goals & the Paris Agreement
• Decarbonization Pathways
• EN-Roads Climate Solutions Simulator
• Renewable Energy Generation demonstration, model electrical grid
• CAP Time - Solutions
• Afternoon activities include BodyBalance, Creative Writing Workshop, or Soccer
• Fourth of July Evening Celebrations with Smores, bonfire, music 

Day 7 

• Making, Measuring, and Monitoring Progress
• Decarbonization: Global Governance and International Law
• Climate Change Policy and Negotiations
• Afternoon excursions

Day 8 

• Changemakers: Climate Intersections
• Just & Sustainable Futures
• CAP Time - Stakeholder identification & engagement
• Afternoon excursions

Day 9 

• Excursion to Burlington to explore real-world climate solutions
  • Discover downtown Burlington
  • Climate Tracks 
    1. Climate Finance & Entrepreunership
    2. Sustainable Planning & The Built Environment
    3. Biodiversity & Conservation 
    4. Food Systems & Climate  

Day 10 

• Changemakers: Theory of Change
• Introduction to Circular Economy
• From Linear to Circular Activity
• Connections to Circularity
• Afternoon activities include biking, bracelet making, or enjoying a local concert series

Day 11 

• Excursion to Montpelier to learn about local/state climate action
  • State House Tours
  • Breakouts time (forest, desert, marine)
  • Explore Montpelier
• CAP Time
• Evening Activities

Day 12 

• Student Final Presentations
• Poster Session
• Talent Show & Final Dinner Celebration
• Keynote Speech 

Day 13 

• Departure

This schedule provides a glimpse of the engaging activities, hands-on learning, and unique opportunities to explore climate science and solutions while building a strong community of changemakers! This schedule is subject to change. 

• Greenhouse Gas Effect and the Physics of Earth’s Temperature: Explaining how greenhouse gasses trap heat and regulate Earth's temperature, and an introduction to the basic physical principles (e.g., thermodynamics) that influence climate systems.
• Natural Variability vs. Anthropogenic Change: Understanding the difference between natural climate fluctuations and human-driven impacts.
• Climate Projections and Modeling: Using climate models to predict future climate scenarios and their potential outcomes.

Josh DeVincenzo, Ed.D., is the Assistant Director for Education and Training at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and an Adjunct Assistant Lecturer at Columbia Climate School. His focus is on developing learning experiences associated with national training projects that navigate housing and economic recovery. He has developed instructor-led and web-based curricula regarding financial literacy, economic impact analysis, and community partnerships. He has also developed courses for the Green Mountains program that empower young people to take climate action. 

He holds a master’s degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a doctorate from Columbia University's Teachers College with his dissertation on “Enhancing Capacity in Adult Climate Literacy: Investigating Sustainability Mindsets in the U.S. Emergency Management Profession.”

Martin Dietrich Brauch conducts economic and legal research, training, and advisory work at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment. He focuses on extractive industry investments in the context of sustainable development and the zero-carbon transition, and he leads the Center’s cross-cutting work on climate investment policy. His expertise also extends to investment law and policy, among other areas of international economic governance. He has worked extensively with developing countries, speaking English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Prior to joining CCSI, he worked as international law advisor at a global think tank, in-house counsel at a media conglomerate, and associate attorney at a boutique law firm. As a graduate student, he undertook a legal internship at United Nations Climate Change. He received a B.A. in Economics, a Bachelor of Laws, and a specialization certificate in Environmental Law from the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. He holds an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from NYU School of Law, where he was an IILJ International Law Fellow.

Sandra Goldmark is a designer and professor whose work focuses on the circular economy and interdisciplinary climate strategies. Sandra is the Director of Sustainability and Climate Action and an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College, and Senior Assistant Dean for Interdisciplinary Engagement at the Columbia Climate School. Sandra teaches courses in sustainable design, circularity, and climate.

From 2013-2019, Sandra founded and operated Fixup, a social enterprise repair service dedicated to healthy and circular patterns of consumption. Sandra is a co-creator of the Sustainable Production Toolkit, a free climate action and sustainability resource for performing arts organizations, and serves on the Board of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, the BBC, The Sunday Times of London, The Daily News, Salon.com, and many more. A graduate of Harvard College and Yale University, Sandra is the author of Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet.

Laurel Zaima-Sheehy is the Assistant Director of K12 and Continuing Education at the Columbia Climate School. Laurel has substantial experience working with youth, teaching students through informal education about the natural environment through hands-on experiences. As an educator, Laurel works on education initiatives that communicate topics of sustainability, climate change, sea level rise, and climate action to the general public, K12 and undergraduate students, and formal and informal educators. Laurel has led and advised high school and undergraduate students through a variety of summer research opportunities including the Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP) and Next Generation of Hudson River Educators Program. Laurel has a BS in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Miami and a MS in Sustainability Science from Columbia University. 

Ben Baraga supports the Center's research on investment governance, climate policy, and the energy transition. He received a BA in Public Policy Analysis and Environmental Analysis from Pomona College, researching drought, wildfire, and air pollution solutions for the greater Los Angeles area he grew up in. Reflecting his liberal arts schooling, Ben’s research since arriving in New York City has been deeply interdisciplinary: ranging from a critical minerals market assessment, to an SDG-based coffee handbook, to a report on emissions reduction for HVAC companies. Beyond research, his passion lies in teaching and mentorship, whether helping coordinate CCSI’s annual executive trainings or engaging with the Climate School’s K-12 offerings.

Alex Parsells is a Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. He is interested in why it rains when and where it does, particularly in the tropics, and with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between rainfall and energy transport by atmospheric circulations. His research focuses on the intense precipitation within the intertropical convergence zone, Western Hemisphere Warm Pool, and continental monsoons and their representation in reanalysis products and climate models. Alex has a B.S. in Astrophysics and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma. He is also enthusiastic about science teaching and outreach and communicates principles of climate science to students and the public both in classroom environments and through the Climate Learning Lab at the American Museum of Natural History. 

Aandishah Tehzeeb Samara is a PhD student in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Her research focuses on understanding shifts in the global hydroclimate and the complex interplay between anthropogenic climate change and natural variability. Born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aandishah is deeply committed to climate justice. She is particularly focused on how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. Her work highlights how a lack of hydroclimatic monitoring and data in these regions creates significant gaps in our global understanding and leaves these populations more vulnerable. Beyond her research, Aandishah is invested in teaching inclusive pedagogy and serves as a Senior Lead Teaching Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and drives student advocacy as the President for the Arts and Sciences Graduate Council (ASGC) President.