Climate justice: A transformational education and engagement project

Climate justice: A transformational education and engagement project

Author: Ethical Schools August 31, 2025 Duration: 45:46

We  speak with Tom Roderick, founding executive director of the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility; Jan Zuckerman, Co-founder of Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland, Oregon; and Graham Klag, an alumnus of Sunnyside Environmental School. We discuss Tom's book, Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education. Tom explains that climate chaos and social justice are inextricably linked, and proposes a program for addressing both. He centers the concept of the beloved community.

Overview

00:00-01:07 Intros

01:07-03:57 Why “Climate Justice?’

03:57-06:00 Connection between climate change and social justice

06:00-07:34 The book’s primary audience

07:34-09:30 Teaching for climate justice and SEL

09:30-11:51 Sunnyside Environmental School

11:51-15:37 Meshing hands-on learning with Oregon’s state testing requirements

15:37-16:43 Storyline

16:43-19:24 Creating a “beloved community”

19:24-21:23 Impact on Graham Klag’s life as an alum

21:23-30:10 Wolf education project with ranchers’ families

30:10-34:37 Encouraging students to be hopeful

34:37-37:22 Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST, Brazil) and “contentious co-governance)

37:22-40:00 Teach for Climate Justice Project

40:00-41:27 Civil resistance

41:27-43:13 SEL in Phoenix Talent schools in Eastern Oregon

43:13- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Photo teachforclimatejustice.org


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
NYC schools: still separate and unequal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:54
Student activists Coco Rhum and Hebh Jamal describe what real integration of NYC schools would look like and how to achieve it. Bringing sharp analysis and insight from their experiences as leaders in IntegrateNYC and Te…
Advice for Secondary School Teachers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:41
This is an encore. We interview Lev Moscow who, for the last 14 years, has taught history and economics at The Beacon School in New York City. Lev reflects that advisory, done well, can serve as a venue for students to e…
Multicultural Education: Challenges and Aspirations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:16
We speak with New York State Regent Luis O. Reyes on the evolution of multilingual education in New York, beginning with the ASPIRA Consent Decree that in 1974 established bilingual education as an entitlement for Puerto…
Multicultural Education: Challenges and Aspirations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:17
We speak with New York State Regent Luis O. Reyes on the evolution of multilingual education in New York, beginning with the ASPIRA Consent Decree that in 1974 established bilingual education as an entitlement for Puerto…
Gender Inclusivity: Where Science and Ethics Intersect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
We speak with high school science teachers and trans men, Sam Long and Lewis Maday-Travis, who have developed resources and trainings to help biology teachers develop gender-inclusive curricula. Science tells us that sex…
Gender Inclusivity: Where Science and Ethics Intersect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
We speak with high school science teachers and trans men, Sam Long and Lewis Maday-Travis, who have developed resources and trainings to help biology teachers develop gender-inclusive curricula. Science tells us that sex…
Emotionally Responsive Education: "inviting and containing" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:00
Margaret Blachly of Bank Street’s Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice describes how to fit materials, curriculum, and relationships together to create an emotionally safe classroom. Emphasizing the importance of a…
Emotionally Responsive Education: “inviting and containing” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:01
Margaret Blachly of Bank Street’s Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice describes how to fit materials, curriculum, and relationships together to create an emotionally safe classroom. Emphasizing the importance of a…
Special education: How students and their teachers are shortchanged [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
Jia Lee, NYC special education teacher and union activist, talks about the unfairness of the Fair Funding Formula, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the tendency of schools to re-traumatize vulnerable students. She also…