Curriculum Enhancement
Faculty Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop
The Faculty Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop is designed to help CSULB faculty increase their awareness about the intersections of sustainability, climate change, and social justice issues and learn strategies for connecting these topics to core concepts in their own disciplines.
Additionally, participation in the workshop is a great way to support faculty who wish to apply for the Ukleja Center’s Ethics Across the Curriculum pedagogical stipend program by exploring opportunities to integrate the ethics of climate change and environmental justice into their courses.
#MakeClimateAClass — 1 Hour Segment Each Semester
The #MakeClimateAClass initiative is part of the Solve Climate By 2030 project at Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy, which encourages university, high school and K-8 educators to incorporate a one-hour discussion each semester about climate change solutions from their disciplinary perspective.
The initiative provides educators from over two-dozen disciplines with the following resources to successfully teach a one-hour class:
- Teacher’s guides featuring slide decks, podcasts, videos and more
- Access to a CA-specific Climate-Solutions webinar recording
Take the #MakeClimateChangeAClass pledge today to learn more about how you can start integrating climate solutions into your discipline course(s).
Faculty Green Thread Workshop
The Green Thread Workshop was the legacy program that has now evolved into the Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop and was designed to help faculty learn methods for connecting sustainability themes and ideas to core concepts in their own disciplines. The hands-on workshop brought together engaged faculty members from diverse disciplines to explore ways to enhance student understanding of the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic issues and concepts. More than 60 faculty from a wide range of disciplines participated in the program.
Past Green Thread Workshop participants commented that the most valuable aspects of the program were:
“The group activities, exploring different perspectives of faculty members regarding how sustainability can be integrated into courses and classroom instruction…”
“…support from the workshop presenters/coordinators on the importance of sustainability in the CSULB curriculum.”
“The exercises promoted a great collaboration of curriculum concepts and approaches that integrated all disciplines, challenging subject experts to go outside of their own expertise to synthesize other viewpoints into their way of thinking. I think it is a better approach to education.”
“Meeting others from other departments and learning how they value sustainability and apply it to their classes.”
Faculty are asked to come to the workshop with a specific course in mind that they would like to enhance, modify, or in some cases, create. Integration of sustainability concepts and learning outcomes into courses is demonstrated through the inclusion of explicit language in the course syllabus and/or Standard Course Outline. Courses which meet this threshold are then eligible to be included on the list of CSULB Sustainability Course offerings.
Service Learning
Service learning allows students to connect theory and practice by working in the community —and with the community—to address on-the-ground issues. Some of the most useful and innovative solutions to sustainability challenges in our communities emerge when knowledge, resources, and enthusiasm are shared between our campus and our community partners.
CSULB’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) is on a mission to “engage the university and community in creating a just and civil society where every member functions as an agent of social change.”
CCE helps students and faculty enrich the educational experience through Service Learning, Community-based Participatory Research, and Community Engagement efforts. Each of these strategies provides opportunities for students to become more civically engaged and personally invested in the work of building a more equitable, sustainable society.
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
As a living museum, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (EBMJG) is an aesthetic and cultural resource and a living laboratory for the campus and community.
There are many opportunities year round to partner with the Japanese Garden including:
- Green Generation Showcase - Partnership with CSULB’s Office of Sustainability featuring an evening of networking, music, food, and sustainability-focused student and faculty projects. Service Learning opportunities are also available.
- Student Fieldwork and Internships – Arts & Events Management Internships offered in the Fall and Spring.
- Blue Sky Classroom – Schedule classroom time or in-Garden classroom activities.
- Student and Faculty Performance – Partner with us to showcase solo or group performance in the Garden.
For more information, call Mary Srameck at (562) 985-5930 or email Mary.Sramek@csulb.edu
