The Climate Action Field Schools in Thunder Bay, ON and Sault Ste Marie, ON took place August 21-27, 2021.  The information below applied to the these two locations.

 

What is the Climate Action Field School?

The Climate Action Field School is a week-long experiential training program consisting of virtual workshops, site visits, and events in coastal communities across the Lake Superior Watershed in the summer of 2021. The Climate Action Field School will take place in the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands and waters of the Anishinaabeg – the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples and their more than human relatives. Field school events, activities, learning and sharing will take place within four hub cities: Thunder Bay (Ontario), Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario), Houghton (Michigan), and Duluth (Minnesota). It is being organized by members of the Lake Superior Living Labs Network.

 

Who is participating?

Participants will consist of a diverse group of young people poised to become future climate leaders. The organizers are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and we welcome applications from all individuals including women, racialized persons, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and other equity-seeking groups.

 

Who are we collaborating and learning with?

Panelists, site visit leaders, and organizers of the Climate Action Field School are people actively engaged in climate action initiatives – through teaching, research, practice, and activism.

 

How long is the Field School? 

The Climate Action Field School in Canada was August 21 to August 27, 2021.

 

The Duluth and Houghton dates will be updated here when known.

 

What language will be used? 

English 

 

What will participants be doing during the Field School?

The Climate Action Field School in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie was implemented using a hybrid virtual and on-site design. Participants in each hub city joined together in person daily for site visits (field trips) and experiential workshops that included active experiences outside (e.g. hiking, swimming, canoeing). Participants also joined several virtual panel discussions with climate action leaders across the Lake Superior watershed and digitally document their experiences for connecting and sharing across hubs virtually during the Climate Action Field School.

 

The Duluth and Houghton hubs are designing their upcoming Climate Action Field Schools in a manner that prioritizes safety for participants. More details will be shared when known.

 

What is the cost? 

There is no monetary cost to participate! The organizers will cover the costs of some meals  (e.g. lunch and snacks), and the travel costs (e.g. to off-site locations) during Climate Action Field School hours.  

The Climate Action Field School is not able to cover the costs of meals outside of programming time (e.g., breakfasts, dinners), living expenses, or travel to/from any of the four hub cities.  If you are keen to apply, but have a unique circumstance that would complicate your participation, please contact us at superiorlivinglabs@gmail.com to discuss possible options.

 

What are the Field School objectives?

• To cultivate respectful and meaningful relationships among people and places within hubs and across the Lake Superior watershed;
• To offer opportunities to learn about, interrogate, and reflect on climate action from diverse perspectives and across different scales; 
• To create and engage in experiential learning (and unlearning); and
• To inspire a sense of possibility, place, reciprocity, and empowerment.

 

Why should I apply to the Climate Action Field School?

We are looking for folks who:

1) get really excited about the objectives listed above 

2) want to engage in climate change initiatives in their life, communities, on campus, and in their careers

3) are passionate about climate action and looking for a rejuvenation of energy, expanding connections, and learning about more perspectives about climate change

4) reside in or near Duluth, MN or Houghton, MI.

If these describe you, apply to the Climate Action Field School below

 

Are there any expectations of me BEFORE the one week Climate Action Field School? 

Yes! We are planning to send out a few learning resources for participants to watch, listen to, and/or read before the Climate Action Field School. 

 

Are there any expectations of me after the one week Climate Action Field School? 

Yes! We are planning to keep connections among participants through March 2022.  We plan to have participants engage with us in some post-Climate Action Field School events. These events will be held virtually. 

 

What about Covid-19? 

We are closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation in Canada and the United States, and will be adapting the schedule and logistics as needed to the changing context according to local public health guidelines.

 

Statement of Values

These values ground the Climate Action Field School’s organizers and guide our decision-making and actions: 

• A climate justice orientation
• Diverse perspectives
• Interdisciplinarity 
• Place-based watershed perspectives 
• Relationships and relationality 
• Social-ecological systems thinking
• Community-campus partnerships
• Multidirectional learning

 

Application Description

There are two components to the Climate Action Field School application: 

1. Complete a google form with a few basic questions. 
2. Upload (to the google form) an Expression of Interest. 

 

In your Expression of Interest please respond to the following prompts in a format you prefer. This could be a video (~2 minutes), text (~750 words), photo essays, art pieces, or other format (or combo of elements). Regardless of format, please make sure that all submitted materials for your application are clear and easy to understand as a listener/viewer/reader.

• Tell us about yourself and please include anything about yourself that you would like us to know
• Why do you want to be involved in a Field School focused on climate action in the Lake Superior watershed?
• What skills, experiences, and/or perspectives would you contribute to the Climate Action Field School?
• What skills or experiences are you hoping to gain through the Field School?

 

Application Due Date – Duluth and Houghton

To be determined. 

To indicate your interest, please email superiorlivinglabs@gmail.com.

 

 Application Review and Selection Process

After the application due date, a team of LSLLN members (academics and community partners) will review all applications. Please note, there are limited spaces available as this is a competitive process. The reviewers will be looking for Expressions of Interest that address all four prompts with an aim of selecting a group of participants with diverse lived experiences, perspectives, skills, and gifts (which take many forms). After you have completed your application, please wait a few weeks to hear from us. We will contact everyone via email with final decisions.