Climate Justice
Shared Language & Definitions
As a school, staff began to engage in concepts of Climate Change and Climate Justice through multiple book clubs and share-outs. While reading we realized through the multiple sources that it would be important to create shared language and definition of key terms that our school and classrooms would engage with on a regular basis.
The High School for Climate Justice created the following poster that is used as a baseline for the nuanced conversations and learning we have each day.
The Climate Justice Theme
The Climate Justice theme is integrated in the academics and community partnerships that we cultivate. Starting in 9th grade, all students take a Climate Justice elective that touches on the key tenets, concepts and issues pertaining to Climate Justice and all 11th graders take Advanced Placement Environmental Science.
All students engage in interdisciplinary lessons in all grade levels with Climate themes throughout the school year. For example, in 12th grade during a unit that focuses on Voting Rights in their government course, it is enhanced with further depth in math class as students grapple with functions that model voting trends and English class reading and analyzing experts from Stacey Abram’s book Our Time is Now.
We continue to sustain and grow our community partnerships that align with our Climate Justice theme. Some examples of these partners are New York Sun Works that assist in our Hydroponics Lab and the Resilient Schools Consortium (RiSC) that engages students with hands-on activities with trips to Coney Island Creek to strengthen the surrounding dunes to protect the community from future hurricanes and inclement weather.
Academic Integration
9th Grade Climate Justice Seminar
11th Grade AP Environmental Science Course
Multiple interdisciplinary units / lessons developed by staff
12th Grade Research Climate Justice Capstone (in development)
Green Team (After-School Club)
Key Partnerships
More from RiSC
More from NY Sun Works
