CAP Story
In the fall of 2021, as the Omicron variant of COVID was just getting started, I'd had it. It truly felt like the world was ending, which obviously felt horrible. I tried to find the silver lining, because I'm an optimist, but that felt awful too, because it felt like I was deluding myself.
I showed up to therapy and decided to hand this problem over to my therapist. I told her I saw two options: despair or delusion. Which, in her professional opinion, was preferable?
"Are you willing to consider that there might be at least one other possibility?" she asked.
I was. That third option was to recognize the fact that there are millions of smart, caring people working to right the wrongs being done to our natural world. Another fact: while I wasn't a climate scientist, there were still things that I could do to take climate action. My therapist encouraged me to start with listening to some podcasts about climate action. Then, I was to ask, "What CAN I do?"
Later that night, while listening to one of these podcasts, I wrote out the entire model of Climate Action Pedagogy, CAP. I realized that my wheelhouse is education, specifically supporting educators in their lives and in their pedagogy. I discovered a motto from the climate action world: All jobs are climate jobs.
If that was true, that meant my job as a faculty developer could be a climate job! I was onto something. CAP was born. Action is an antidote to despair, and the future is not written. Not yet.
Since that day in 2021, I've led hundreds of faculty from all disciplines toward weaving climate action into their courses. I believe that all courses are climate courses. I hope you'll join me in this mission.
I showed up to therapy and decided to hand this problem over to my therapist. I told her I saw two options: despair or delusion. Which, in her professional opinion, was preferable?
"Are you willing to consider that there might be at least one other possibility?" she asked.
I was. That third option was to recognize the fact that there are millions of smart, caring people working to right the wrongs being done to our natural world. Another fact: while I wasn't a climate scientist, there were still things that I could do to take climate action. My therapist encouraged me to start with listening to some podcasts about climate action. Then, I was to ask, "What CAN I do?"
Later that night, while listening to one of these podcasts, I wrote out the entire model of Climate Action Pedagogy, CAP. I realized that my wheelhouse is education, specifically supporting educators in their lives and in their pedagogy. I discovered a motto from the climate action world: All jobs are climate jobs.
If that was true, that meant my job as a faculty developer could be a climate job! I was onto something. CAP was born. Action is an antidote to despair, and the future is not written. Not yet.
Since that day in 2021, I've led hundreds of faculty from all disciplines toward weaving climate action into their courses. I believe that all courses are climate courses. I hope you'll join me in this mission.
CAP Services
CAP workshops are designed with today's educators and students at the forefront. I use the very best of the learning sciences to meet people where they are, engage them, support them, and help them feel excited about climate action pedagogy.
When I run CAP workshops, I ask folks how they feel at the start and end of the workshop. Typical comments at the start include: scared, overwhelmed, like an imposter, or terrified.
By the end of a CAP workshop, educators report feeling happy, supported, joyful, inspired, and motivated. This is the power of doing small things in loving community.
I have twenty years of experience in online course and community design and facilitate regularly to an international audience of educators. I'd be honored to learn with your team.
When I run CAP workshops, I ask folks how they feel at the start and end of the workshop. Typical comments at the start include: scared, overwhelmed, like an imposter, or terrified.
By the end of a CAP workshop, educators report feeling happy, supported, joyful, inspired, and motivated. This is the power of doing small things in loving community.
I have twenty years of experience in online course and community design and facilitate regularly to an international audience of educators. I'd be honored to learn with your team.
Self-Paced OneHE CAP Workshop
Join my self-paced, online course hosted at OneHE. This microcourse covers the basics of the climate action pedagogy model and will get you started on this journey.
CAP Resources
I am available for climate action workshops and consulting. That said, CAP might not be the best fit for you or your institution. As such, I've created this resource page to gather a list of any and all organizations who are working on supporting educators in bringing climate action into their teaching. My goal here was to bring all of these disparate resources into one place for your easy access. May it be of benefit.
Have a resource you'd like to suggest that aligns with this goal? Please reach out.
AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability Education)
https://www.aashe.org/All We Can Savehttps://www.allwecansave.earth/
Climate Interactive
https://www.climateinteractive.org/
Cooler Communities
https://coolercommunities.org/
CSU Chico: Teaching Climate Change & Resilence
https://www.csuchico.edu/fdev/homepage/climate-changeresilience-series.shtml
Environmental Solutions Initiative
https://environmentalsolutions.mit.edu/climate-justice-instructional-toolkit/
MIT Climate Primer
https://climate.mit.edu/primer
OER Commons
https://oercommons.org/hubs/climate#higher-education-climate-resources
SERC Higher Ed Portal
https://serc.carleton.edu/highered/index.html
Take Action Global
https://www.takeactionglobal.org/
UNESCO
https://www.unesco.org/en/sustainable-development/education/need-know
Have a resource you'd like to suggest that aligns with this goal? Please reach out.
AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability Education)
https://www.aashe.org/All We Can Savehttps://www.allwecansave.earth/
Climate Interactive
https://www.climateinteractive.org/
Cooler Communities
https://coolercommunities.org/
CSU Chico: Teaching Climate Change & Resilence
https://www.csuchico.edu/fdev/homepage/climate-changeresilience-series.shtml
Environmental Solutions Initiative
https://environmentalsolutions.mit.edu/climate-justice-instructional-toolkit/
MIT Climate Primer
https://climate.mit.edu/primer
OER Commons
https://oercommons.org/hubs/climate#higher-education-climate-resources
SERC Higher Ed Portal
https://serc.carleton.edu/highered/index.html
Take Action Global
https://www.takeactionglobal.org/
UNESCO
https://www.unesco.org/en/sustainable-development/education/need-know