Columbia Climate School Goes to the Green Mountains

This pre-college program in Castleton, Vermont, will mobilize students in grades 9–12 to take action and affect change in response to our warming planet.

By
Cassie Xu
April 16, 2021

The Earth Institute and the Columbia Climate School are excited to announce the first-ever Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains pre-college program happening in person this summer in Castleton, Vermont, from June 27-July 9. The program will mobilize action, drive impact, and affect change in response to our warming planet. It is designed for students in grades 9–12, including rising 9th grade students. Applications are now open here.

We believe that young people have a critical role to play in finding solutions to a fast and evolving future where climate change continues to disrupt our way of life. This program will help bring transparency to the complexities of the climate crisis and offer real-world experience to demonstrate impact. It is an excellent opportunity to engage with experts from the inaugural Columbia Climate School and learn about cutting-edge innovations in climate action.

Participants will meet in person, collaborate, and build partnerships with like-minded students, and tap into collective strengths for action, activating an ambition to drive and sustain change in their communities.

The Climate School will take place over two weeks at Castleton University’s campus and provide the space and opportunities for high school students to engage, educate, and get excited about fostering solutions. Topics to be covered include the science of climate change, climate impacts and resilience efforts, environmental justice, community impact and science communication and advocacy.

Students will participate in a range of activities including seminars, small group activities, team-building and networking activities, excursions and field-based lessons and final projects. Additional fall programming will also be available for students who are interested in continuing their work.

All programming will be taught by renowned Columbia faculty, researchers, and practitioners who are experts in their field, including:

Arthur Lerner-Lam, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Lisa Dale, Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development

Thomas Chandler, National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Lisa Goddard, International Research Institute for Climate and Society

Joshua Devincenzo, National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Laurel Zaima, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Admission to this program is selective. The organizing committee will look for exceptional and highly motivated students who are eager to participate in climate action in their communities. Full and partial scholarship opportunities are available for this program. Please visit the application page to learn more about eligibility and scholarship applications; we will be updating this page very soon with all of the information.

Have questions? Visit our FAQ page or email us at [email protected].