USF’s Climate Teach-In aims to educate community on environmental initiatives

This year’s Climate Teach-In features a record 35 events across USF’s campuses, from sustainability workshops to student-led activities, such as movie nights and group bike rides. ORACLE PHOTO/DELANEY TORRES

USF’s fourth annual Climate Teach-In is set to bring the largest slate of events in its history.

This year’s teach-in boasts 35 events, marking an increase from 18 last year. Attendees will participate in climate-focused conversations and activities across all three USF campuses from Monday through Saturday.

As the Climate Teach-In continues to expand, its student organizers hope the weeklong event leaves a lasting impact beyond the classroom.

What began as a small-scale educational effort in 2021 has grown into one of the university’s most expansive environmental initiatives, said Luke Vischio-Duffy, a member of the Climate Teach-In planning committee.

The teach-in is supported by a student organization established this year, Climate Teach-In at USF.

“We have made great strides in getting other students, faculty, and community partners involved in this year’s CTI,” said Vischio-Duffy, a sophomore secondary English education major.

The global Climate Teach-In movement was founded by Bard College in New York in 2019 and has since grown into an international initiative under the name “Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week,” according to the Bard College’s Website.

At USF, the movement was introduced by Judy Genshaft Honors College professor Andrew Hargrove in 2021, who still serves as the faculty advisor for the Climate Teach-In.

The committee has been organizing for months, collaborating with students, faculty and local partners, Vischio-Duffy said.

Building Learning, Optimism, Outreach and Mindfulness, or BLOOM, is a student group focused on environmental education and climate literacy.

BLOOM will host a screening of “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” an eco-conscious anime by Hayao Miyazaki, at TECO Hall in the College of Education at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

“We brainstormed ways to get others involved without it feeling like another lecture or class,” Vischio-Duffy said. “We concluded that showing a movie allowed folks to engage in the environment in a healthy way.”

The event is designed to be a space for students to decompress while still reflecting on environmental themes, Vischio-Duffy said.

Other events for the week include the “Stride for Sustainability,”a 5K run hosted by the USF Running Club on Friday, and a Zero Waste Workshop on Thursday.

This Climate Teach-In also hosts the climate-themed art exhibit in the Judy Genshaft Honors College throughout the week and a Sustainable Cooking Class led by Chef Rosana Rivera on Friday in the HON Food and Culture Studio.

On Saturday, the final day of programming includes a group ride to Zio’s New York Bagel shop in collaboration with the USF Bicycle Club in an event called “Bikes and Bagels.”

Starting at the on-campus Publix at 8:30 a.m., riders will cruise through Flatwoods Park and head to the bagel shop in Pebble Creek before returning to USF.

The 22-mile ride is designed to be beginner-friendly and will be an easy-going pace, according to the event listing on BullsConnect.

On Tuesday, the Arm Wrestling Club at USF will host an event that combines physical strength with environmental awareness.

The event, titled “Strength in Sustainability,” will take place from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in HON 3040.

Participants of all experience levels are invited to try their hand at arm wrestling while engaging in casual conversation about climate change, according to the event listing on BullsConnect.

Morgan Matthews, the Climate Teach-In’s community outreach coordinator, said students can expect the events to be “hands-on, interactive, interdisciplinary and educational.”

“There is truly something for everybody,” said Matthews, a senior environmental science and policy major.

Matthews, who has been involved in the Teach-In for three years, is helping organize the Climate Career Fair and secure raffle prizes for attendees.

Students who attend at least two Climate Teach-In events will be eligible for the raffle by collecting stickers in their Climate Teach-In passport, Matthews said.

Matthews said coordinating so many events can feel overwhelming. Still, she said the hard work is worth it.

“I’ve loved seeing how much the Climate Teach-In has grown during my time at USF,” Matthews said. “I wanted to be part of making it even better and getting more students, faculty and staff involved in climate action.”

The initiative reflects a growing student effort to make climate education accessible, creative and community-driven, Matthews said.

“We have had some amazing volunteers who have helped us accomplish tasks such as making graphics, sending outreach emails and participating in event setup,” Matthews said. “We’ve dedicated countless hours to this initiative.”