As Amnesty International states, “The climate emergency is a human rights crisis of unprecedented proportions. The climate crisis threatens civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of present and future generations and, ultimately, the future of humanity.”
Do we need to wait for governments and others in power to address this issue? The short answer is no—a Just Transition offers a grassroots and place-based framework that allows connecting community organizing, deep democracy, and social justice efforts to move away from an extractive economy that is the real root of the current climate crisis.
What is Community Education in Action?
Front and Centered, together with some of our coalition members and our partners from the ClimeTime network,* are coming together to host the first Community Education in Action workshops.
Over a weekend, youth, educators, activists, and community members will come together to learn more about how a Just Transition could be incorporated into inspiring learning resources to promote climate and environmental justice. They will seek out a deeper understanding of the connection between climate change and social injustices in their schools and communities, envisioning what a Just Transition could manifest as within their own lives. Their mission? To co-create learning resources that promote collective action through a ripple effect of empowerment and advocacy.
No Pedestal for Experts
These workshops are rooted in principles of popular education, where all participants in learning spaces are considered facilitators. Popular education, as proposed by Brazilian educator and activist Paulo Freire, relies on the power of critical consciousness to ignite sparks of political activism and social transformation. Through active reflection in collective realities, participants create spaces with no pedestals for experts, only the recognition that each person brings unique experiences to the table. As participants converge, they become facilitators, co-creators of knowledge and resources, united in the fight against oppression.
This isn’t merely a gathering—it’s a symphony of voices, each contributing with interests, experiences, and different forms of knowledge to the creation of invaluable learning resources. Imagine lesson plans or community activities infused with the wisdom of lived experiences and informational guides that respond to the interests of families and communities. Imagine videos pulsating with the heartbeat of action, capable of igniting enlightenment in schools, community-led initiatives, and after-school programs alike.
Join Us!
This year we will meet in Yakima at the Yakima Valley College Conference Center on April 27–28, and in Seattle at the downtown Central Seattle Public Library on May 4–5. Food and materials will be provided. English-Spanish interpretation will be available. In addition, K–12 educators will receive clock hours to advance their professional development. To request any accommodations or for further information, please contact Isabel Carrera Zamanillo, Front and Centered’s Community Education Coordinator, at [email protected].
We invite you to unleash your creativity and connect with people from different communities and backgrounds who are also interested in fighting climate change and social injustices so that we can create inspiring resources that bring awareness and new perspectives to your community through community-centered education.
Let’s all contribute to a present and a future where climate and environmental justice isn’t just a dream, but a living, breathing reality. Welcome to the forefront of community education in action!
* Participating Front and Centered coalition members: APIC Yakima, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Kitsap Black Student Union, Africans on the East Side, Community Health Workers Coalition for Migrants and Refugees, and Hilltop Urban Gardens. Partners from the ClimeTime network include: EarthGen, Islandwood, Pacific Education Institute, and Puget Sound Educational Service District.
