Penn will kick off its seventh annual Climate Week on Monday.<\/p>\n
The schedule, which runs through Oct. 9, includes 1.5-minute lectures, a climate-themed \u201cJeopardy!\u201d session, keynote speakers, and a movie screening. Organizers said the events, built around the theme \u201cEmpowerment and Action,\u201d were designed to help students find ways to engage with climate-related issues.<\/p>\n
Penn Climate Director of University and Community Engagement Katie Baillie explained in an interview that this year\u2019s theme was \u201cintentionally\u201d chosen to \u201cequip everyone in the community\u201d with the resources needed to contribute to addressing climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard to understand how to be part of the solution,\u201d Baillie said. \u201cBy making this focused on empowerment and action, it\u2019s centralizing the individual.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earth and Environmental Science assistant professor Jon Hawkings, who consulted on event planning, said the theme was aimed at undergraduates, whose participation \u201clags behind\u201d that of graduate students and staff. He said he hoped this year\u2019s programming would get undergraduates \u201cinterested\u201d in Climate Week and involved in the broader climate movement.<\/p>\n
Get the DP delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n
Sign Up<\/a><\/p>\n To encourage participation, Penn Climate is offering a \u201cClimate Week Passport\u201d to students who attend three or more events, making them eligible for a prize at the end of the week. Hawkings said more than 50 events were planned across the week.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s itinerary includes<\/a> 1.5-minute lectures from both students and faculty. Penn Climate program manager Kate La Spina said that the series is one of their \u201csignature\u201d events.<\/p>\n La Spina said the lectures were her \u201cfavorite event of the week\u201d because she enjoys \u201chearing about what students at Penn are working on or what they\u2019re really inspired by.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Baillie echoed a similar sentiment and added that she\u2019s looking forward to the \u201cAI Use in a Climate Change Era\u201d panel, which features<\/a> artificial intelligence experts across campus who will discuss how AI can be used in climate research and its impact on sustainability.\u00a0<\/p>\n The \u201cTransform Penn\u201d pitching competition, which invites students to showcase sustainable solutions in a \u201cShark Tank\u201d-style demonstration, will also return<\/a> after last year\u2019s success<\/a>. Students will present their ideas to a panel of Penn experts, and the winning pitch will receive mentorship to create a complete Penn Green Fund proposal.<\/p>\n The Penn Green Fund, which was established<\/a> in 2009, is a $30,000 grant awarded to ideas aimed at improving the University\u2019s sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. Proposals must align with goals outlined<\/a> in Penn\u2019s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 4.0.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hawkings added that the Climate Week organization committee, which mostly consists of faculty, has had \u201cheavy input\u201d on the events highlighted<\/a> in red on the Climate Week at Penn <\/a>calendar. The committee works year-round to identify key advancements and trends in climate studies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel every member of the Penn community can get involved in Climate Week at Penn in some way, shape, or form,\u201d La Spina said. \u201cThere\u2019s something for everyone, and I really hope that everyone tries to make Climate Week a part of their schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n