The vast majority of university students now belong to the so-called “climate change generation.” High school and university students are increasingly concerned about the current and future impacts of climate change. As a result student enrollment in climate change-related courses is on the rise across the United States—and Salem State University is no different.
The geography and sustainability department has seen an explosion of new offerings in climate-related classes. It has gone from one class directly focused on climate change to 14 different courses/sections that include “climate change” in the title in 2020-2021.
In 2015 the department started off with just one Global Climate Change class.
Fast forward five years, there are now 11 sections of Global Climate Change, two sections of The Climate Change Movement: Can Collective Action Save the World? and one section of Saving the World: Social Justice in an Era of Climate Change.
Other courses within the geography and sustainability department also engage with the climate crisis, as do a range of other departments across campus. See sample courses here.
Higher education has a critical role to play in educating college students about global climate change and progressing human understanding and action on the largest threat facing our global community.
To celebrate Salem State’s leadership in tackling climate change, the university established two endowed annual student scholarships:
- The Ken Saro-Wiwa Climate Justice Scholarship
- The Salem State University Social Justice Scholarship.
Both awards have a $1,000 prize. The deadline to apply is Saturday, March 13, 2021. Find the full application details.
| Contact |
Noel Healy
|
|---|