This annual retreat is aimed at 1) introducing course material, 2) thinking about the interaction between climate and environment, and 3) building a trusted learning community. The students will be working together over the 6 months of the program, learning about "the historical, structural and cultural roots of the climate crisis, its effects across diverse communities and ecologies, and the creative ways local people respond and build collective resilience." This weekend together would be an opportunity to launch much of this. The first quarter's focus is inquiry: students will engage in hands-on research, mapping, and documentation of climate change and associated social, environmental and health impacts. Students gain knowledge from community members on the ground across multiple localities, and support their efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of climate disruption and related crises.

Approved