THE PROJECT Climate Resilience with Youth: Ann Richards School Project CLARIFY: Climate Resilience with Youth Summer Institute A June Summer Institute at the University of Texas at Austin engaged Ann Richards’ teachers, students, and administrators in an exploration of local climate data and resources from Planet Texas. Through workshops in digital storytelling, Living Newspaper, and arts installation, participants explored how to build climate literacy and climate resiliency through the arts. Digital Storytelling Living Newspaper Art Installation Workshop The Summer Institute concluded with the creation of a “recipe” for the fall project at Ann Richards. Here is a short clip of two of our STLC high school members presenting their ideas. INCUBATE: Climate Resilience with Youth STLC Learning How to Use the Arts to Connect, Learn and Take Action The STLC worked weekly with DFS and PT2050 researchers and teaching artists to explore new arts-integrated interdisciplinary units for the entire 7th grade curriculum. Each STLC session included training on how to use arts methods to make positive connections with the natural world, to make sense of environmental data, to explore recommendations from Austin’s Climate Equity Plan, and to imagine a better possible environmental future for Austin. The STLC designed the culminating Climate Resilience Through the Arts Festival so that the 7th grade students could share their learning and research about how to take action on climate change with the 6th grade students and invited guests. Designing and Researching Interdisciplinary Curricula to Build Climate Resilience The STLC teachers and DFS teaching artists facilitated new arts-integration units in every 7th grade subject area (Texas History, Science, English/Language Arts, STEM, STARS Leadership, and Theater); the final units varied in length from one day to eleven weeks. STLC students advised curriculum development and co-designed the culminating “Climate Resilience Through the Arts Festival” with DFS support. Creating a Festival to Celebrate Work and Teach Others The STLC designed the culminating Climate Resilience Through the Arts Festival so that the 7th grade students and the STLC students could share their learning and research about how to take action on climate change with the 6th grade students and invited guests. “I saw this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen and expand our experience with interdisciplinary units, which the 7th grade team plans every year. We were looking for a way to unite around a common theme that had an authentic, real-world application. We collaborated with UT teaching artists, Gabrielle Lewis, Madi Palomo, Nora Borre, and Walker Zupan. And, through ongoing input from the 7th grade students during our STLC meetings, we went on to create interdisciplinary learning units, based in climate change literacy and equity in seven different classes.” -Danielle Willie, 7th Grade Teacher, Ann Richards School Climate Resilience Festival Showcase | Speaking to Peer and Adult Audiences at School The Ann Richards STLC school projects concluded with a 2.5 hour Creating Constellations of Change: Climate Resiliency Through the Arts festival in December 2024. Here, the entire 7th grade was able to AMPLIFY their learning and make connections with their 6th grade peers about what they learned through the project. High School members of the STLC also offered additional workshops on how to join the ARS Green Team and workshops on climate resilience for festival adult guests “We designed the festival with a key question in mind: what would students like ourselves want to see or experience at a climate festival? We used the goals of our festival– to “Make Connections”, “Expand Knowledge”, and “Take Action”— to guide us. We wanted the festival to be both educational and interactive, and we wanted to use the arts for students to have a meaningful experience.” —Winnie, 9th grader + STLC member Make Connections “We had a land acknowledgment to recognize the land on which we were gathering, a mindfulness moment that helped ground students and helped them connect with nature, and interactive moments that invited students to think about their personal responses to nature and climate.” -Winnie, 9th grade Expand Knowledge “We had local guest speakers speak about their organizations and their work relating to the climate.” -Winnie, 9th grade“The [7th graders] chose a favorite experience from their classroom subject-area work, created a brief presentation, and shared this with the 6th graders [in the audience]. Our data demonstrated that hearing from the 7th grade students was one of the highlights of the festival for many of the 6th graders. They said, ‘The 7th graders are so cool.'” -Lynn, DFS Coordinator “By connecting with our community, the Festival has truly empowered the tangible, real action making the seeds of change flourish.” –Lily, 10th grader + STLC member Take Action | The Green Team “One way the festival led positive change was the revitalization of our campus Green Team. The Green Team is a group dedicated to sustainability at our school, and in the past, it has been responsible for beneficial campus projects like composting and gardening. Unfortunately, the events of the pandemic reduced the group to only one member, and we were struggling to rebuild it. However, the Climate Festival organized a launch meeting to restart the Green Team. Thanks to this effort, the Green Team has been reestablished, and our numbers – and opportunities – are growing. New gardens are being planted, a new greenhouse is being finished, and projects to help our campus are becoming reality. Our success bolters my confidence in the potential of our communities to do good.” –Lily, 10th grade “As someone who wants to study art and design in college, this festival taught me about the impact of my pieces in real time and made me realize that I did have a platform to make a change in my community.” —Eloise, 10th grader + STLC member. Take Action | The Zine “To serve as a reminder of the learning provided at the festival and to spark reflection, we created a zine. The zine has QR codes leading to further information from the organizations who spoke at our festival and their logos for easy recognition. We utilized a simple layout for ease of use and bold collage-style imagery that featured a variety of textures and high contrast to pique the interest of the 6th and 7th graders, inspiring further exploration into climate change issues and potential solutions. After finishing the general design I worked with UT graduate student Nora Borre to polish the piece and finish all the writing.” –Eloise, 10th grade. “Our goal was to make the Climate Festival a beginning, not an ending—an experience that would plant seeds of awareness and action that continue to grow beyond the event itself. Personally, it made me realize that change can come about when we all work together, not just policymakers, but students, teachers, and community members alike. Because of this project I realized I want to enter a career path that helps protect the climate and our natural world.” –Winnie, 9th grader + STLC member. UT Austin PT2050 Annual Symposium Presentation | Speaking to Adult Audiences at UT Austin The Ann Richards’ STLC analyzed their data and presented their findings at the UT Austin PT2050 Annual Symposium in February of 2025. Teachers and students shared the results of PAR research on classroom arts-integrated projects focused on climate literacy and equity and the impact of the Festival on the 6th and 7th graders. The STLC also shared Y/PAR research on their own experience across the STLC project. Creating Constellation of Change with Students and Teachers: A PT2050 Showcase | February 27, 2025 This 75-minute long session featured representatives from the ARS STLC, including ARS students, seventh-grade teachers, and the Drama For Schools facilitation team. They showcased highlights from the December 2024 Climate Resiliency Arts Festival, discussed the impacts of their work on students and the ARS community, and demonstrated samples of their arts-based methods for exploring climate issues with youth.
