Envisioning a Just Climate Future – Connecting Your Class with PCC’s 2026 Climate Action Plan
Posted by anne.grey
Presenters: Steph Fregosi (Sustainability Analyst), Taryn Oakley (Environmental Science Faculty & Community-Based Learning Coordinator), and Roberta Richards (Southeast Campus Reference Librarian & Sustainability Curriculum Committee Co-Chair).
Summary
In this presentation, PCC faculty and sustainability leaders share practical strategies for connecting classroom learning with PCC’s upcoming 2026 Climate Action Plan update. The speakers highlight the importance of teaching climate justice by focusing on actionable solutions, community empowerment, and equity rather than fear or guilt. Presenters review PCC’s sustainability milestones—including a 46% reduction in operational emissions since 2006 and a goal of full carbon neutrality by 2040. Attendees explore grant opportunities available for course updates, along with real-world curriculum examples across philosophy, chemistry, environmental science, and GIS mapping. The session demonstrates how using campus data and treating PCC as a living lab allows students to directly contribute to college sustainability initiatives.
Presentation Slides: Envisioning a Just Climate Future Presentation Slides
Resource Document: Climate Action Plan Resource List
Presentation Outcomes
- Understand the core principles of climate justice education that center solutions, community resilience, and equity over doom and guilt.
- Learn about PCC’s historical progress toward carbon neutrality and the key focus areas of the upcoming 2026 Climate Action Plan update.
- Identify internal grant opportunities to support curriculum updates, including SPARC mini-grants, Community-Based Learning (CBL) awards, and Eco-Social Justice grants.
- Explore multidisciplinary assignment ideas and access campus datasets (energy, trees, water, and GIS data) to use the college as a living lab.
- Apply plug-and-play climate action modules, feedback surveys, and student-led project ideas directly into existing course offerings.
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