Climate change.
Those two words may bring to mind any number of associated images and topics 鈥� melting polar ice caps, unpredictable weather patterns or even scientists in lab coats mulling over data on how our planet is gradually getting warmer.
In all likelihood, they didn鈥檛 bring to mind images of a painter using recycled materials in their artwork, a farmer implementing regenerative agriculture methods or a teacher deliberating on how to build information on climate change into their core curriculum.
But maybe they should.
Enter, the COmmunity COllaboration and LEarning for climate Resilience program 鈥� COOLER for short. COOLER is an interdisciplinary climate education program at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) created in 2023 by faculty from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) and the Department of Geography, GIS and Sustainability.
鈥淭he idea was to build a learning ecosystem,鈥� said Cindy Shellito, meteorology professor and EAS department chair, and one of COOLER鈥檚 founding faculty members. 鈥淲e wanted to find ways that all of our students could understand at least some of the impacts of climate change.鈥�
To that end, Shellito, along with Chelsie Romulo, associate professor of Geography, GIS and Sustainability, and Sharon Bywater-Reyes, associate professor of Environmental Geoscience, launched the COOLER Climate Leadership Institute (CLImates) in 2024.
COOLER CLImates is a year-long program that brings UNC students and faculty members from across the university together with community partners to build a network of climate resilience and develop climate-related resources for use throughout northern Colorado.
鈥淚f we are going to become resilient to climate change as a region or a species, globally, we鈥檒l need to do it together.鈥� - Chelsie Romulo, Ph.D.
Specifically, Shellito and Romulo both stressed the importance of getting people from a wide variety of disciplines involved.
鈥淐OOLER is open to all students, regardless of their major, interest in school or level of familiarity with climate change,鈥� Romulo said. 鈥淲e tie in math by looking at data, art by talking about craftivism and education by looking at how climate change is taught in schools.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the challenges is that climate change is affecting everybody, absolutely everybody; everywhere and well into the future,鈥� Shellito said. 鈥淪o, every single student at UNC is going to be impacted by climate change, whether they know it or not.鈥�
Over the past year, 10 students, 10 faculty members and approximately 10 community partner organizations in the CLImates program have worked together in small groups on a wide variety of projects.
- Greeley Clean Air: students, community members and members of the working together to produce a comprehensive air quality education campaign.
- NoCo ArcGIS Story Map: two community members developing an interactive map that will include photos and fun facts about local plants, animals, community gardens and more, with the goal of helping users build a stronger connection to nature.
- Young鈥檜ns Trash Mob: a group of students working to create a series of educational presentations on trash generation, what is and is not recyclable and sustainable waste practices, all geared toward K-12 students.
- Arts Reuse Center: a group planning and outlining the creation of a communal center where people could donate reusable art supplies and artists could source their materials in a sustainable way.
- Green Up Greeley: a student-led club at UNC dedicated to keeping the university and the city of Greeley clean through trash collection events. Organizers hope to keep the club running even after this COOLER CLImates cohort ends.
- Earth Day Educational Brochure: students, faculty and community organizations, including the , developing both a print and a digital brochure on Earth Day, climate resources, how to get involved and more.
Additionally, several UNC faculty members are working on incorporating climate-related information into their classes, including curriculum on fire and droughts, the impact of climate change on the music industry, how to bring climate science into the field of chemistry and more.
COOLER CLImates participants will be presenting to their peers on their completed projects on Monday, April 21. Afterwards, a complete list and descriptions of each project will be posted on the and distributed through .
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 create the program to be framed as, 鈥榟ere鈥檚 an assignment, now go work on it,鈥欌�� Romulo said. 鈥淲e wanted students, faculty and the community to come together and work on the things that were important to them.鈥�
For Lorayne Aguinaldo, a junior Environmental and Sustainability Studies major, president of UNC鈥檚 Student Leadership for Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) and a participant in the CLImates program, that鈥檚 exactly what has happened.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important now to get global perspectives and to make sure you鈥檙e in tune with the rest of the world, especially on the environmental side, because that affects everyone,鈥� Aguinaldo said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 kind of crazy, in a way. I never pictured all these people working together. Not in a bad way, of course, it鈥檚 just really cool.鈥�
Aguinaldo is one of the students working on the Earth Day Educational Brochure project.
Beyond the outcomes of the projects themselves and the building of relations between UNC and local community members, COOLER aims to provide participants, especially students, with skills and experiences that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.
鈥淎 huge part of COOLER is helping participants get more connected with their community and helping them know how to make those connections and do that networking,鈥� Romulo said. 鈥淚f we are going to become resilient to climate change as a region or a species, globally, we鈥檒l need to do it together.鈥�
After a year鈥檚 worth of experience in the CLImates program, the work is paying off for Aguinaldo.
鈥淢ainly, I鈥檝e gained a very different, strong set of communication skills,鈥� Aguinaldo said. 鈥淟ike, knowing how to communicate across different levels and groups. Talking to community groups and faculty is intimidating at first, but after a bit, you realize they have the same goals as you do.鈥�
Breaking down those barriers of communication and encouraging tangible actions is exactly what COOLER was made to help people do.
鈥淧eople understand what鈥檚 happening now. The biggest question I get now is, 鈥榳hat can I do?鈥欌�� Shellito said.
The answer?
鈥淧ick one thing, anything. One thing or area where you feel like you know something, that you enjoy, that you鈥檙e good at. Find where that thing overlaps with what needs to get done and that鈥檚 where you act and make a difference.鈥�
Looking to the future, the faculty behind COOLER are working to determine where the project is headed next.
The initiative was originally funded by a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). However, some grant programs at the NSF have been halted in recent months, leaving COOLER without opportunities to apply for funding for its next round of programming.
Shellito, Romulo and the rest of the COOLER team are currently looking for funding from other sources, including from private endowments, university funding or other outside sources.
鈥淥n a grand scale, it doesn鈥檛 take much to put 10 students through this program over the course of a year.鈥� Shellito said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a great experience for them throughout, giving them practical experience working in the community. And it鈥檚 a big boon for UNC, too.鈥�
They are also considering partnering with community organizations to take existing projects and keep them going outside of UNC.
In the absence of additional funding, the team hopes to continue COOLER in as many ways as they can on social media and through their newsletter.
And to Aguinaldo and many of the other COOLER participants, the work being done is work worth continuing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important,鈥� Aguinaldo said. 鈥淗ow can I say this without swearing? You just, you really have to give a *something* about other people, you know? And that鈥檚 what COOLER helps you do.鈥�
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