CLIMATE LEADERS ACADEMY:
Preparing the next generation of youth climate educators, researchers and advocates
After decades of attempting to raise awareness of the need to take action, the global climate movement has seen a dramatic surge in its ability to mobilize citizens and influence the political agenda. This renewed vigor has been led in large part by a younger generation of climate activists who have added an action-oriented and multi-faceted strategic approach to these efforts. Throughout the world, youth-led coalitions are increasingly impacting system level change in climate policy, education, as well as national and community level mitigation and resiliency strategy and program implementation. The heightened involvement of youth in climate-related issues has spawned the development of programs aimed at providing education, training and real world experience to this new generation of change agents.
An example of one such program that recently graduated their first cohort in December 2023, is Vanderbilt University’s Climate Leaders Academy (CLA). CLA, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a 3-year program providing formal climate training and professional development to undergraduate and graduate fellows from across the country. CLA’s cohort-based model incorporates in-person and virtual experiences that offer participants valuable opportunities to meet, engage, and collaborate with professionals, organizations and communities working to address the global climate crisis. Participating CLA institutions include Boston University, Michigan Technological University, Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University.
During their academic semester, CLA students are introduced to national and international climate change frameworks that serve as educational and training platforms. These frameworks help inform the design of team-based projects that address and educate communities to climate concerns at the local level. Applying these frameworks and their own experiences with local communities, CLA students culminate their semester by participating in climate activities and negotiations at the international Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP) meeting, often presenting on their own work and experiences at this prestigious global conference.
CLA’s inaugural cohort in 2023 included 12 students (undergraduate and graduate) from a variety of academic institutions (e.g. Howard University, Colorado State University, Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University, and more) and diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Cohort members represented a mix of academic program concentrations including climate and energy policy, sustainability science, environmental engineering, political science, economics, history, law, educational technology, and science and environmental health. Cohort members spanned in age from the early 20’s to the mid-40s.
Learning and Motivation
Students had different motivations for applying to CLA. Students viewed CLA as an opportunity to deepen their studies, improve their career options, and expand their understanding of climate change on a global level. Many felt that their college experiences were too academically rooted, far removed from the more important practical-applied opportunities of impacting climate change at the grassroots level. They wanted something different.
I really wanted to know how to connect my science background to actually educating people in the community, because a lot of the time what we’re doing is just so far removed from everything. I wanted to be part of something where you’re working with other people, you’re creating a network, but you also are learning how to engage the community. — CLA student
Some envisioned CLA as a chance to expand their understanding and knowledge of climate through an interdisciplinary lens, and the prospect of embarking on a journey with a cohort of students from different backgrounds and areas of study.
I think it’s really special to have this cohort of students that you can follow professionally as you move on to your next steps. I like the cohort aspect of having young professionals together — CLA student
CLA also provided an opportunity for students to actualize their altruistic passion to effect positive change.
I never knew that it was climate change that was necessarily calling me, but I’ve always felt like, to some degree, I want to save the world. — CLA student
CLA’s experiential and solutions-oriented structure allowed students to explore the many interrelated elements of climate change issues and policies in a way that was more personally impactful and resonant. Through the program’s combination of field work, classroom assignments, research, and exposure to global perspectives at COP, students deepened their understanding and appreciation of climate issues both in the context of their own studies and as global citizens.
I oftentimes think as an individual it can be really disempowering to think about climate change. To be surrounded by so many, like-minded people who are really driven to make change was really impactful. — CLA student
Participation in CLA helped to strengthen and expand the scope of many students’ pre-existing academic and/or career goals and ambitions, while for others, being in CLA offered the possibility of exploring entirely new and different academic and/or career options. The program’s interdisciplinary structure provided a fresh perspective to the many dimensions of what the ‘climate field’ represents.
I didn’t think climate was a space that was that integrated in before, maybe more so, just on the international development side. It has given me a lot more insight into how I should be thinking about my career as well. — CLA student
Students credited the CLA program with providing them a more realistic and holistic understanding and appreciation of climate science, education, policy and advocacy. Outside the classroom, students’ perspectives about climate change are often shaped by media reports, or in conversations with friends or family. Opportunities to experience and observe climate policy being negotiated at the global level at COP provided students with a rich and relatively unfiltered foundation of knowledge and information from which they could make their own judgements and assessments.
I’m so hyper focused on the individual and local levels specifically to the US. Thinking about my research in the context of the globe was really good for me. — CLA student
Building a cohort
The inaugural CLA cohort was a unique laboratory that fostered rich experiential learning and solution-driven approaches. Students deepened their knowledge of climate science and other domains through the lens of their peers’ diverse academic disciplines and career experiences. The cohort’s diversity in socio-economic status and life experiences led to more culturally rich and authentic interactions. Peer-peer mentoring within the cohort took many different forms, from assisting on methods of how to conduct applied research, to advice on education and career choices, to how to prepare for a trip overseas. Students felt safe and supported within the cohort, and appreciated that they were treated as adults. The program’s interdisciplinary focus was strengthened by emphasizing teamwork and collaboration over content consumption.
I see the main enhancement has been hearing from students from different universities but also from different departments. At my college I don’t really interact with law students or engineering students, so I never really knew their perspective on climate change or their proposed solutions. — CLA student
Participation at UN COP 28 Meeting in Dubai, UAE
The culmination of activities for CLA students was their participation at the annual international climate change negotiations, the UN Conference of the Parties (COP), held in Dubai, UAE from November 30 — December 13, 2023. CLA students attended one of two one-week sessions during the run of the conference. While at COP, CLA students had the opportunity to attend and observe a wide range of events and activities including high level climate policy negotiations, thematic (e.g. health, water, mobility) pavilion presentations, country pavilion presentations, side events (panel discussions and presentations on climate related topics) and press conferences. In addition to attending various COP sessions, CLA students also presented their own research at a number of these different venues and forums including press conferences, side events, and at the CLA pavilion and exhibit booths.
Student reflections on their experience at COP ran the gamut from the professional to the personal. Most students came away from the conference filled with a sense of urgency to address climate-related issues; an urgency reinforced by hearing the many sobering stories of the catastrophic impact of climate change on communities throughout the world.
Climate change is very much evident here in the United States, but it’s not always something that’s reflected in our day-to-day lives so much as in other countries. I think listening to other stories, it’s really life or death. It’s about survival. I think that brought a lot of things into perspective for me. — CLA student
At COP, CLA students were active participants, positively contributing to discussions, sharing knowledge, postulating potential solutions and proposing various courses of action. Exposure to the diversity of climate activities around the world provided students with a greater sense of agency and confidence in charting their own personal journeys as climate professionals, educators and advocates. Students were especially impressed by the number of youth involved at COP.
Youth are the future. It is really exciting for all of the countries to begin to realize that and bring a lot of youth climate leaders here. We should be really involved in these conversations. — CLA student
Students were exposed to a variety of different perspectives on climate policy and mitigation strategy, some ideas challenging their own preconceived notions and attitudes. Exposure to this diversity of perspectives motivated students to learn more.
I spent a lot of my time at different country pavilions [and] specifically in Singapore’s. They have a lot of technological advancements, especially with solar panels and water refinement. Since I’m working with marine heat waves, I feel like that really connected with me. — CLA student
Participating in a large international forum like COP helped students contextualize the experiences of marginalized populations in the US who disproportionately suffer from climate change.
I found myself wondering where the domestic piece was, especially as an African American woman, and someone who focuses on environmental justice. It’s like African-American people don’t have a country to talk about their unique environmental justice problems. So often in American we’re (African Americans) looked at as a global south type of population. — CLA student
After participating in CLA students came away believing and confident in their abilities to effect change. Formal CLA studies combined with access and exposure at COP provided students with a more realistic and solutions-oriented perspective regarding the many complex and interrelated elements of climate science and policy.
Dr. Leah Dundon, CLA’s Principal Investigator, believes that the experience and exposure from participating in CLA provided students with a valuable applied and practical problem solving orientation for researching and addressing the many complex impacts of climate change.
I think students obtained valuable exposure to the interdisciplinary aspects of climate change. Many of them learned elements about climate change far outside their primary field of study, but in a way that made sense within their field.— Dr. Leah Dundon
2024 CLA Cohort: New projects
CLA has now accepted the program’s second student cohort for 2024. Cohort two students began the program by participating in a climate change intensive workshop that was held at the Sea Education Association (SEA) facility in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in late May. Holding the workshop at Woods Hole was extremely valuable for students to learn about climate both from an experiential and contextual perspective.
We learned from the first cohort that the kick of workshop location and programming was critical to the success of the entire year. Students bonded and established a common learning environment to teach some foundational materials. This year’s Workshop had the perfect balance of isolation that allowed for focus and bonding, but also proximity to some of the top climate research institutes in the world. — Dr. Leah Dundon
Similar to the previous cohort, students in the current cohort worked in small teams to develop a climate change project that they will continue to work on over the summer, and further develop and implement through the Fall 2024 semester.
This year CLA is implementing another unique element which is to engage students in contributing to a real world climate change research study being undertaken by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. The ORNL Post-Doc will assist each student team to enrich their project’s science components as well as enhance the quality of stakeholder/community outreach. The project with ORNL provides some exciting content and peer learning opportunities for students.
My hope is this project will allow the students to see first hand the value of their diverse background when applied to a real-world research project, and how each of their contributions is made better by their interactions with each other. In collaboration with ORNL, we’re now developing the details that will guide the student work. — Dr. Leah Dundon
This coming November CLA cohort members will also participate in COP which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. To help this year’s students better prepare and adapt when at COP, Dundon is planning to implement some slight changes to the program’s curricular focus.
Last year I focused more on substantive climate knowledge in different topical areas and the UNFCCC was just one of those. This year I am focusing more on UNFCCC processes so that the students are less confused by the conference when they get there. — Dr. Leah Dundon
As climate challenges become more frequent and pronounced, programs like CLA will be essential if we are to properly educate, train and prepare a next generation of researchers, educators and activists to shape future climate policy, resilience and mitigation strategies in our local communities and around the world.
