Climate justice education minor
The climate emergency is the most pressing challenge of our time. Urgently needed adaptation and mitigation strategies will require aligning all systems of our civilization with the ecological health of the planet. This alignment must be equitable, involving shared decision-making across all sectors, age groups, and societies. Yet, addressing climate change also requires engaging with the cultural, ideological, psychological and other aspects of the planetary emergency. One need not be a climate scientist in order to contribute to a better, greener, more just world.
One of the best tools available to engage all humans in this transdisciplinary effort is the social technology known as story. Stories for young people, in particular, give readers ample openings to contemplate equitable alternatives to racial capitalism, gender discrimination, economic inequality, colonial extraction, and other unjust systems of our current civilization. Literature, film, games and other narrative media help young audiences envision and enact processes that bring about the transition we need. Stories also thematize the power dynamics between older generations who make political decisions today and younger generations who demand a right to live well in a climate changing world. Drawing from stories for young people and contextualized through scholarship, this minor will help students develop several interdisciplinary capacities grounded in the humanities.
All courses are offered in-person on the Twin-Cities campus.
Quote from Nick Kleese
Growing up on a family farm in southern Iowa, I saw firsthand the ways that the current systems of our society wreck havoc on the ecologies and communities on which we depend. I know we can do better, and I know that every human deserves an education that will empower them to build a better, more just, and more verdant world. That's why I'm honored to serve as faculty advisor for the Climate Justice Education minor.
About this program
Curriculum
The minor consists of three required core courses and one elective course.
Minimum of 15 credits total is required (9 credits from core courses + 3 credits from electives)
The core courses are grounded in both the practical and theoretical understanding of climate justice education, developed through engagement with children’s and young adult literatures. The elective courses enable students to connect their learning about climate justice education to their major program areas.
Core curriculum and instruction courses (9 credits):
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CI 3433: Climate Justice, Children’s Stories, and Action for a Just Transition
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CI 3434: Climate Emotions, Young Adult Literatures, and Transformative Practice
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CI 3435: Envisioning Green New Worlds with Youth Literatures and Media
Additional elective courses (3 credits):
One additional elective chosen from any course featured on the Institute on the Environment’s list of sustainability or environmental justice-themed courses.
Educational experience
Every human deserves an education that will prepare them to live well with others on a climate changing planet. The goal of the Climate Justice Education minor is to advance that education while fostering a community of students and faculty with the skills, transdisciplinary civic capacities, and ecocentric values needed for resilient, racially and economically just, and inclusive societies in a world like our own. In doing so, students will gain:
- An understanding of climate justice education and the tools it offers to address the racial, socioeconomic, ideological and other drivers of the climate emergency
- An understanding of the need to extend justice, equity, and inclusion to all human and non-human communities
- An awareness of how values, attitudes, and beliefs impact the complex interrelationships across spheres of socioecological systems
- An appreciation of how education, imagination, and future thinking skills are necessary to ensure a transformation toward an ecological civilization
- An ability to recognize and navigate climate emotions, including in communication with stakeholders with different perspectives and priorities
- An ability to critically evaluate concepts, ideas, actions, and relations for their climate and planetary health consequences
Career paths
Not all of us will be climate scientists. Yet we can be all climate justice literate global citizens who are able to accelerate a transition to a racially and economically just ecological civilization, no matter in what field we work. This minor will help you explore the climate emergency critically as an intersectional phenomenon that impacts all facets of our lives and must be engaged at all intersections.
How to apply
Admissions information
Application Deadlines
Fall: August 1
Spring: December 15
Summer: April 15
Students must be enrolled at the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate to be eligible to enroll in the program.
Apply online to enroll in the climate justice education minor
Students must be enrolled at the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate to be eligible to enroll in the program.
Request information
For questions related to the application contact Student Services Specialist, Stephanie Fore.
For questions related to the minor program, contact Faculty Advisor, Nick Kleese
