Listening Session I: Why Should Schools Move Toward Climate Action?

Join the K12 Climate Action first listening session as we hear from panelists highlighting why schools should move toward climate action. Hearing from a panel of stakeholders, the Commission will have the opportunity to learn more about the intersection of climate change and children’s health, the size of the education sector, the impact on frontline communities and communities of color as well as district and state led initiatives to expand climate justice and climate change education in schools.

Panelists:

Tammy Snyder Murphy has served as first Lady of New Jersey since 2018. As First Lady, Tammy’s policy initiatives focus on climate change education, infant and maternal health, and fostering women-owned businesses throughout New Jersey. She has worked with the New Jersey Department of Education to incorporate climate change throughout the K-12 state education standards to better prepare our students for the future economy; worked to create Family Festivals across the state to increase access to resources for mothers, children, and families; and partnered with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to increase angel investing in women-led businesses.

Dr. Aaron Bernstein is the Interim Director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE), a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Bernstein focuses on the health impacts of the climate crisis on children’s health and advancing solutions to address its causes to improve the health and wellbeing of children around the world.

Maya Green is a freshman at Stanford University and an Organizing Coordinator with the nonprofit Student Voice, where she acts a as mentor and support to high school students new to place-based organizing. Maya is a graduate of Charleston County School of the Arts, where she was student body president and spent 6 years in the award-winning creative writing program. Maya believes strongly in storytelling as a tool for social change and has experience writing speeches, narrative journalism, and podcasts. Through involvement in political advocacy and community organizing, Maya is also well-versed in seeking policy change and engaging with elected officials.

Nichole Berg is the Climate Change and Climate Justice Programs Manager in Portland Public Schools. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating the development of a K-12 climate literacy curriculum that embeds units of study into science and social studies at each grade level, including the creation of a transdisciplinary high school elective course, as well as developing and sustaining a youth-led PPS Climate Justice Youth Advisory, and collaborating with district staff and community partners to promote and support sustainability efforts across PPS.