A sunny Friday last October found us away from campus, in a narrow room with many plants, conversing at three large tables, but they were not quite large enough as it turned out.
As part of Montreal 2140, a conference organized by the Bieler School of Environment at McGill, more than 50 engaged folks joined us to talk about Teaching and Learning for Hopeful Futures, and together we focused on getting our ideas onto colorful sticky notes. We were working to address climate-focused challenges.
Each of us is involved in teaching and research that focuses on the climate crisis. Our work has us asking questions about how to improve climate-focused education. To begin our work that day, Nik Luka welcomed everyone and explained our goal. Together we would craft a set of possible actions and answers to a series of questions beginning with "How might we …?" After we facilitators introduced ourselves, we invited attendees to join us at one of three themed tables. Below, we summarize key takeaways from our discussions.
Whose knowledge and perspectives? Diversity, inclusion, and beyond
Here we asked, how might we improve courses and events by including perspectives and materials from the people whom we most need to be hearing from?
People who are less represented in traditional scholarly communities often have much to teach about climate impacts and solutions. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, and people from other regions who are currently affected by the crisis—as well as folks living at the intersections of racialization, class discrimination or (dis)abilities—encounter systemic barriers to safety and wellbeing in the era of climate emergency. We need to hear what they would like to share. We also wanted to know how we might "normalize" cultural knowledge and other forms of knowledge such as emotional or spiritual insights that have been historically underrepresented within university and scientific spheres.
In conversations at this table, there was agreement that this diversity of knowledge and experiences is not only an ethical imperative for inclusion but integral to creating knowledge and actions robust enough to face the challenges of the climate emergency.
Concrete ideas for how best to do this were shared, including:
- creating safe learning spaces through accessible strategies (examples offered included drawing or virtual idea boards);
- being mindful that silence in a classroom does not indicate that everyone is in agreement;
- normalizing many forms of knowledge by continuing to bring them forward—this ongoing process is essential to the thriving ecosystem of ideas.
The role of (eco)emotions in the classroom
At the (eco)emotions table, things got pretty crowded. Upwards of 20 people found themselves in smaller conversations about feelings associated with the climate crisis. Folks emphasized the importance of holding difficult emotions—this can open spaces for learning and can be a catalyst for a shift in action or perspective. Powerful emotions are also an important reminder to each other how much we care!
We also heard the importance of acknowledging the full spectrum of emotions while also avoiding attaching a particular judgement of 'good' or 'bad' emotions. Power dynamics and privilege are intertwined in how we perceive others' emotions, and we heard how important it is to approach these conversations with humility.
To put these ideas into practice, folks recommended smaller classroom settings for reflective learning for resilience – spaces to reflect and process these emotions. Smaller classrooms and more informal learning spaces, such as conference sections (also known as workshops), can make it easier to foster the connections and trust required for this kind of vulnerability. We heard demand for courses on climate action (check out FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions), and we also heard the importance of incorporating concepts around sustainability beyond the work being done by the Bieler School of the Environment more widely across the university (check out Sustainability Education Fellows).
From learning to action (and back again): partnering for change
At the partnering for change table, discussions focused on how we can build and sustain equitable and socially impactful partnerships between the university and the diverse communities we seek to work alongside. We noted that, while partnerships that support community engagement often go overlooked, they are a crucial component of the University's social mandate. Participants underscored the need to strive for partnerships that start with a process of trust-building, with time allocated to getting to know and understand one another before initiating work. Addressing the systemic barriers created by the university for working closely and equitably with community partners was noted as an important step.
In addition, we heard the need for physical spaces that are both accessible and welcoming for community partners to enable this partnership building process. Finally, students highlighted the persistent divide that exists between what is taught and learned in formal course settings and the forms of learning and engagement that can emerge from partnerships with community and socially-engaged organizations. Tackling this divide through creative pedagogical practices was viewed as important for supporting students' engagement in partnership building, as well as their preparation to apply their university education beyond their degrees. One highlighted practice was the use of community internships as part of course requirements.
How might we ... feel hope?
There are countless examples of positive change (for example, Seeds of a Good Anthropocene), climate movements and victories, and problems that we've successfully managed, that we can incorporate into our teaching and learning. While these examples are important, we must stay critically attuned to the educational systems we are learning within, holding our institutions accountable and demanding that real equity and justice are reflected in our practices. This is how we move from a passive "hope that" we will rise to the challenges we face at McGill and around the world to an active "hope to"* bring some of these great ideas more widely into practice in the months and years ahead.
*For more on the shift to "hope to" check out Thomas Homer-Dixon's 2020 book Commanding Hope: The Power We Have to Renew a World in Peril, especially chapter 5, The ways hope works (pp. 84-89).
Image credits: Diane Dechief
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