Black Urban Growers, New Climate Change Comms Master’s Degree, Terra.Do!

BLACK URBAN GROWERS

You know, one good thing just leads to another. Researching an upcoming story on Farm School NYC led us further down the BIPOC urban farmer rabbit hole to BUGs. Not insects, but BUGs—Black Urban Growers! Founded in 2010, BUGs is committed to building networks and community support for growers in both urban and rural settings. Through education and advocacy around food and farm issues, BUGs nurtures collective Black leadership to support Black agrarianism and reimagine Black futures. 

Climate justice is racial justice, and according to the members, “We know the real revolution is Black People reclaiming our lives through food sovereignty and justice. Our ancestral lineage is rooted in culture, land, food, and community.” BUGs honors the joys and the sores that are seen on the land. It advances a vision of ecological, economic recuperation, reciprocity, and representation that impact the health and economic sustainability of land-based stewardship.

In order to accomplish its mission, BUGs offers the following programs: 

Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference: the national Conference provides a space for community building, shared learning and collective action in a different region of the United States each year. Urban Ag & Food Justice Apprenticeship Program: A 16-week education, skills-building, and community development program focused on urban farming, environmental health, and social justice. (Available in the New York City Metropolitan area.) And Wednesday Wisdoms Webinar Series: a webinar series highlighting the amazing work of members across the country! As well as Peer To Peer Consulting: with The goal of helping members connect on an individual basis to provide mutual support in taking each other’s work to the next level of success in service 

Why does BUGs matter to us? Its programs and mission serve to teach and inspire confidence in largely marginalized, heavily urbanized communities to own their own agrarianism and reimagine Black futures. In other words, BUGs is solarpunk!

DEEPER DIVE: BUGs, BUGs Conference Registration, Open Space Institute

NEW CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION MASTER’S DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Calling all communicators! Calling all communicators! The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is offering a journalism master’s degree track focuses on science and technology, and with an online option. According to a press release from the Society of Environmental Journalists, there exists a significant need for media professionals to communicate science, discoveries, and innovations to the general public. So UIUC is offering a flexible hybrid/online program—with a focus on science and technology—will be offered through the University of Illinois journalism master’s degree beginning Fall 2023.

Students can earn the Master of Science in Journalism degree with a focus on science and technology journalism entirely online in as few as two semesters full-time or can tailor a part-time schedule over additional semesters. Students also may opt to take courses that “stack” to a professional credential, and those courses can later be applied to a degree. 

The new program is a collaboration between the UIUC College of Media and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. The timing of this program coincides with needs voiced by the science communication industry for such training, especially on critical stories of our time especially climate change. 

Why does this new course matter to us? The online master’s program and individual course modules are ideal for journalists and prospective journalists who want to improve and specialize in science writing or to gain a competitive advantage in the field; scientists and their academic colleagues who wish to be more effective in communicating to lay audiences; and communications professionals who work for nonprofits, government agencies, or science- or technology-focused corporations who are interested in boosting their skills and understanding.

Now more than ever, there is a need for the skill to humanize data through video storytelling, to humanize science communication by harnessing virtual reality; and more. To learn more about the program and the application details, see media.illinois.edu/master-science-journalism. The deadline to apply is March 3, 2023. 

DEEPER DIVE: UIUC, Assoc. of Climate Change Officers, The Rise of Climate Professionals

TERRA.DO

According to Terra.Do, Over 50% of the world’s GDP is getting completely disrupted (energy, transportation, agriculture) or transformed (finance, construction, manufacturing) by climate. To adapt, we believe that at least 100 million people (that’s just 1% of humanity!) will need to learn climate skills, build new professional networks and find new kinds of work in this decade. 

Terra.do started to build the ramp for these 100 million people. Join the mission of getting 100 million people to work directly on climate in this decade. If you’re a teacher, an instructor, a coach, or anybody who feels you have what it takes to teach people about climate change, check out Terra.do’s Instructor: Learning for Action remote instructional position. The course is designed to be highly practical, interactive, collaborative and challenging. Fellows (i.e. the learners) are highly skilled professionals looking to switch into climate careers or apply a climate lens to their current work.

Why does Terra.do matter to us? Because of its complete ecosystem of climate professionals, employers, experts, and newcomers—united by a strong drive to start working on this generation’s biggest crisis, climate change, and keen to help each other out in the process. That includes an app! The free app offers unique, insider access to climate professionals and hiring managers at top climate tech companies, facilitating direct connections between climate employers and prospective talent. The app also allows users to apply for Terra.do’s highly sought-after and extremely effective climate fellowships. The release brings climate jobs, learning, and a vibrant community together in a single all-encompassing platform, making Terra.do the ideal starting point for the burgeoning base of professionals looking to build their careers in climate.

DEEPER DIVE: Terra.do, Remote Climate Instructor, GQIndia, Markets Insider