This student petition is an urgent call written by concerned educators and future educators that comprise the college’s student body.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a central role in efforts to combat climate change. As large institutions, HEIs ecological footprint is an impactful one, and current trends are not in line with scientifically based goals, as expressed in international commitments such as the Paris Agreement. Additionally, Teachers College does not adequately educate students about the impact of climate change, a topic that is intersectional with all subject areas. (Only 7% of courses at Teachers College address any sort of climate or environmental issues - learn more here).

Our demands focus on 3 areas: awareness, literacy, and infrastructure.

We call Teachers College’s administration to urgently and seriously commit to:

1) A public statement from Teachers College announcing that they have divested from fossil fuels and private prison, and commit to not invest in these sectors in the future.

2) Implementing a mandatory college wide training on the climate crisis, assuring that our Teachers College community of educators, researchers, and leaders is well equipped to be active in strategizing solutions for the greatest issue of our time.

3) Upgrading our Teachers College infrastructure in a way that is necessary to fight climate change. This includes but is not limited to: improving current waste solutions, implementing a composting program, and addressing energy usage.

Join us in this call for meaningful climate action!

Please make sure to sign using your Teachers College email address!