Sustainably Developing Your Community
(VIRTUAL) Fall 2024
Instructors: Margie Turrin & Marisa Annunziato, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Climate School
Live Information Session Attendees will receive 10% Discount Code
Description: Communities developed using sustainable design approaches provide a visible and meaningful contribution to a challenge that directly affects us all, the sustainability of our communities in the face of climate change. Information and action are needed at every level of our decision making and identifying opportunities for a youth voice to help guide and drive change is critical. As a youth do you feel that your voice is part of the planning discussions in your community? Are you able to identify pathways for direct involvement that provide you the opportunity to influence actions and inform decision makers of steps to both mitigate and adapt to climate change challenges?
This workshop focuses on youth action in creating sustainable communities. We will identify the main components of a sustainable community and share tools you can use to assess your own community. Using your completed community assessments, we will introduce ways to build up areas of community weakness and how to leverage the strengths. We will introduce methods for enhancing sustainability in the face of climate disruption through a set of planning tools. The final project for each student will be bringing a new sustainable development proposal to a local site in your community and considering how to identify stakeholders to support bringing the plan to a reality. Throughout the workshop, students will dive into understanding how to infuse their vision into community planning and decision making.
Learning Objectives/Themes:
- Gain an understanding into what is meant by sustainable planning
- Identify climate drivers that can interrupt sustainability and balance in a community
- Develop proficiency in new tools used in community assessment and planning
- Assess ‘Impact Significance Values’ for proposed changes in your community design
- Be able to identify key stakeholders who can be engaged in promoting sustainable change in your community
- Create a plan for a local sustainable development vision
- Identify opportunities for involvement in creating change in your community
Who is the workshop for: The workshop is intended for high school students interested in gaining a better understanding of sustainable planning with local impact. Throughout the workshop the students will increase their knowledge and understanding of the importance of integrating sustainability and climate mitigation and adaptation in local planning to be better prepared for the future. After the completion of the workshops, students will have increased their knowledge of sustainability, local and city planning, and climate adaptation and mitigation. Learning objectives will be achieved by exploring the process of sustainable planning while considering how local sites in their own community can be developed in a sustainable and climate conscious way. The workshop is designed for passionate learners from all academic backgrounds.
Learning Modalities: The series of sessions for this workshop will be offered virtually using Zoom. It will feature a mixture of lectures, and visual materials including audio/videos, discussions, and activities.
Please note that all workshops are taught in English. Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.
Schedule: (VIRTUAL) October-December 2024, Saturdays, 10 am-12 pm unless otherwise indicated.
- Session 1: Saturday, October 26
- Session 2: Saturday, November 2
- Session 3: Saturday, November 9
- Session 4: Saturday, November 16
- Session 5: Saturday, November 23
- Session 6: Saturday, December 7
- Session 7: Saturday, December 14 (*3 Hour Session: 10-1 pm)
Instructor Bios:
Margie Turrin is Director of Educational Field Programs at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia Climate School where for the last 25 years she has developed and delivered science education for formal and informal educators, and conducted research linking science and education. She is committed to field-based teaching and research opportunities and teaching Earth as a system. She has participated in multiple field and education programs at the local, national and international levels blending climate research and education to a place-based application. She recognizes the role of youth to bring about change and has focused on empowering them to be the change agents we need.
Marisa Annunziato is the Education Program Assistant at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia Climate School where she helps to develop environmental education curriculum and outreach materials. She is involved in helping to coordinate and lead formal and informal education opportunities including hands-on field-based learning experiences, research opportunities, and public outreach events. She is passionate about fostering people's connections to and knowledge of local and global environments. Through the various projects she works on, she strives to educate others about the connectivity of Earth's different systems and the impacts climate change will induce.