SUMMER SCHOOL
Redefining Justice In The Climate Movement. An innovative summer class that combines guest lectures, workshops, and practical skill learning.
The Course (At A Glance)
What is the Summer School?
A 6-week (July 5-August 13, 2022) virtual foundational course curated by BIPOC organizers consisting of lectures, workshops, and a hub fostering intergenerational connections with other action-oriented community members.​
Quick Stats
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Each week = 1 webinar (1.5 hrs) + 1 workshop (1.5 hrs) on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 pm ET and Saturday from 12-1:30 pm ET.
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This series ran from Tuesday, July 5th to August 13th, 2022.
Who hosted the Summer School?
This Summer School Series was co-created by Sustainable Brooklyn and us, Start:Empowerment.​
Benefits for Paying Attendees
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Access to and support with follow-up action steps to start/create change in your community.
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Free access to all speakerships through December 2022.
The Schedule
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Week 1: Global, Indigenous, and Local Regenerative Practices (Webinar & Workshop)​
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Week 2: What is Capitalism (Webinar & Workshop)
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​Week 3: History of Colonialism, Imperialism, and Racism in the U.S. (Webinar & Workshop)
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Week 4: Global revolutions & Resistance Tactics (Webinar & Workshop)​
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Week 5: Black Liberation in the U.S. (Webinar & Workshop)​
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Week 6: Environmental Justice 101 (Webinar & Workshop)​
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Final: Presentation of Sustainable cities
Benefits for All Attendees
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In-depth learning and quality curriculum curated and taught by QBIPOC experts, organizers, and activists with over 30+ years of experience
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Access to reading material, worksheets, and activities prior to the course for more in-depth study
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Form meaningful connections over 6 weeks, brainstorm ideas together, and be part of a hub for radical thoughts and action-orientated next steps
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Access to our community slack channel to connect, discuss, and find community with fellow students
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Support on consistent accountability (through accountability buddy)
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Access to workshops/recitations
After completing this course, students were empowered to make more intentional and effective actions in their personal lives to support the environmental justice movement.
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Students deepened their understanding of how each course topic is relevant to their communities and daily lives. Through the Summer School Series, we provided the next generation of leaders with the knowledge and tools required to ensure the creation of a sustainable, liberated, and equitable future for all.
Our Course Vision
This was a sliding-scale course curated by BIPOC organizers, activists, and leaders with over 30+ years of experience in their fields made to connect climate activism and environmental justice spaces to other radical social justice movements, e.g. abolition.
As a result, members of our school were able to grasp the ways in which our individual and collective organizing can address the convergence of crises we find ourselves in the midst of.
Through an understanding of the theoretical frameworks, material conditions that influence behavior under our current systems, and the hands-on, practical organizing skills through community-oriented work, our course acted as an space to foster meaningful and intergenerational connections with other action-oriented conscious community members and Environmental Justice leaders and organizers.
The Class Layout
The course consisted of 1.5 hour meetings twice per week.
The first meeting each week consisted of a speakership event where we heard from special “guest lecturers” — organizers, thought leaders, and movement builders, about their insights in the climate and social justice spaces. These larger lecture style events included panel discussions and keynote presentations, which were open to youth and community members.
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The second meeting each week convened recitation style where attendees dove into the ideas discussed with our guest speakers, learnt from each other, and tied those concepts to a group project where they ideated what a sustainable city could look like.
Meeting consistently over the course of this 6-week summer course provided ample time to form personal connections with each other, brainstorm project ideas, and act as a hub for radical thought and action-oriented next steps.
Why Pay?
There’s a major gap in the education system: a lack of conversation around radical ideas, on the ground organizing, and QTBIPOC+ voices. We aim to fill this gap with this course.
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Your paid participation* in the course will help support:
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Course scholarships to People of Color (POC) organizers who do not have funding to cover the lowest tier of the course.
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The operating cost of our speakership series.
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Support for the continuation of grant-making to BIPOC organizers through our Vanguard Program.
Special Registration For Community Organizers Of Color
Our organization is made up of young People of Color and we want to continue to support People of Color in the organizing space.
If you are between the ages of 16-24, please consider applying for our Vanguard program to attend Summer School classes for free + receive other benefits.
If you fall outside of the above age range or just want to attend the Summer School classes only, the $0 tier is for you!
Through the contributions of your fellows classmates, as well as Start:Empowerment, its partners, sponsors and other donors, we are able to provide this flexible pricing option to ensure everyone gets a seat at the table.
