Collaborating with Students to Advance Climate Change Education at the University of Michigan (USA): Insights and Recommendations

A growing number of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United States have developed task forces, strategic plans, conferences/workshops, and other efforts to advance climate change education (CCE). We are not aware of an initiative, however, developed in close collaboration with students playing leadership roles. This chapter describes such a collaboration at the University of Michigan (U-M), including the nature of the Advancing Climate Education (ACE) initiative and how students co-led it as well as the culminating event that engaged students, faculty, staff, and leading administrators from across the University’s 16 schools/colleges. Outcomes included a set of recommendations focused on (1) supporting faculty professional development, (2) transforming U-M into a campus living lab, (3) integrating climate and sustainability education across the curriculum, and (4) deploying climate education for student success, with attention to environmental justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with the need for a supporting infrastructure. The event also improved awareness of CCE efforts at U-M, resulted in an inaugural CCE professional development program for faculty, and gave rise to several new faculty-led CCE initiatives. Next, working groups may be established to turn recommendations into action plans and a new leadership position may be created to facilitate collective efforts to advance CCE across U-M, with an emphasis on environmental justice. The chapter concludes with lessons learned for those considering adopting the ACE model at their respective HEI.