College to host inaugural teach-in on climate and justice

The College of St. Scholastica has joined more than 300 universities and colleges, high schools and other organizations around the world to focus on a critical question: what can we do this year to help solve climate change while creating jobs and promoting access to clean energy for everyone?

During the week of March 29, the College will host four “teach-ins” to create climate and justice dialogue within the St. Scholastica community. Ryan Ihrke, sustainability instructor, is coordinating the efforts.

“As educators, we are called to help all of our students, regardless of discipline, understand the extraordinary moment in which we are living,” Ihrke said. “According to increasingly-detailed climate science, today’s students have about a twenty-year window to stabilize the climate and profoundly change the future.”

Ihrke hopes this event will inspire students to recognize their agency as citizens and replace climate despair with hope.

Each of the events is free and open to everyone in the St. Scholastica community:

• Tuesday, March 29, noon-1 p.m., Climate and Justice in-person panel featuring Judi Roux, Cynthia Donner, Drew Manetter, Tim Lorek
• Tuesday, March 29, 4-5 p.m., Global Perspectives on Climate Change virtual panel featuring Martin Pflug, Karen Rosenflanz, Elyse Carter Vosen, Jennifer Niemi
• Wednesday, March 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Winning the Story Wars in-person panel featuring Andrew Taylor, Jeremy Craycaft, Heidi Johnson
• Friday, April 1, noon-1 p.m., Climate Solutions in-person panel featuring Bob Hoffman, Martha Ritter, Gary Boelhower, Zach Via

Additionally, the College will host a keynote talk by Michael Waasegiizhig Price, the traditional ecological knowledge specialist for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. His talk will focus on an Indigenous perspective and the urgent need for climate action. Free and open to the public, the event begins at 7 p.m. in the Mitchell Auditorium on Thursday, March 31 and will also be available for livestream.

To learn more and register, visit tinyurl.com/CSSTeachIn.