The fellows focus on four key areas: community engagement, climate literacy through curriculum development, workforce development for climate-ready careers, and sustainable campus facilities and operations.
“The goal is to get as many faculty to do some sort of environmental action work in their classes,” said Hoshida.
He wants to bring an environmental justice lens to teaching, so students build awareness about the unequal impacts of climate change locally and globally but also aren't overwhelmed by it. Hoshida has started incorporating these themes in his own classes, teaching The Intersectional Environmentalist and adding for-credit participation in environmental projects that benefit their own lives and the broader community.
For instance, he hopes that small, local activities, like joining a coastal clean-up at the Berkeley Marina, might ease student anxiety by "being together in community, and being out in nature in the world. Not only is a great way for students to volunteer to help their community, but they will document what they collect as part of a larger statewide effort to track coastal debris.
“Students are going to do this cleanup, and they're also doing this research. That's kind of interesting project-based learning,” said Hoshida.
Hoshida has been working with the San Francisco Estuary Project on a project that will connect BCC students with research about how communities can protect, restore, and enhance water quality and wildlife habitats in the region. The project will encourage students to collaborate with preservation efforts around the Bay Area while collecting data that can inform policy changes in the State.
Hoshida looks forward to working alongside the fellows in his cohort to build upon the work of the previous two cohorts. He believes tackling the climate issue can only be done through collective action. By building regional relationships through the fellowship, students and faculty can spur action across the state.