The coronavirus may have done a number on most up-close-and-personal human activity, but the Earth continues to pay the cost for decades of human-caused climate change. Which makes the one day we celebrate the planet, April 20, as important as any in the 52-year-old history of Earth Day.
And even though this year’s commemoration of Earth Day will be virtual, the university has a full day of events planned.
This year’s Earth Day celebration will be the second day of the 7th Annual Community Engagement Symposium and Volunteer Fair. Sponsored by the Department of Sociology and the CSUDH Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement (SLICE), the week is designed to encourage CSUDH students and the entire campus community to consider ways that they can engage in service that benefits not just the campus, but the greater community around it.
New community engagement minor being considered
The symposium and fair kick off Monday with an update about the progress made toward creating a community engagement minor at the university. The inter-disciplinary minor has been in the works for two years, according to SLICE Director Cheryl McKnight. Under the leadership of Kim Costino, the dean of undergraduate studies, a committee has explored the possibility of creating a minor that would include classes ranging from anthropology to political science. An introductory class would be mandated that helps students “understand civic engagement,” McKnight said. “It is more important than ever with our current social unrest and call for social justice to educate our students who will become our future leaders .“
McKnight said that as far as she knows, Cal State Northridge is the only CSU school that offers a similar major. She also said she is hopeful that with the committee’s dedication, “with luck, I hope we can have a grounded start (for the minor) within a year.”
No registration is required for the presenation, which begins at 10 a.m. The Zoom link is here.
Tuesday, engagement of another kind takes the virtual stage with the campus’ Earth Day celebration. Like last year, the Earth Day programs will be done virtually. But considering the success of last year’s Earth Day, which was planned in a month after the pandemic struck, this year’s event stands to be even more successful, according to Scarlett Zamora, programming and development coordinator for VISTA, which is part of the OPffice of Sustainability.
“Our Earth day event has always had the goal of providing our students with knowledge of the Earth and Environment,” Zamora said. “Creating a virtual event has allowed us to continue this process with a variety of events,” such as sustainable food and cooking demonstration and discussions of how to effect sustainability in the home.
Jimi Castillo and President Parham to Speak
The theme of Earth Day this year is “it’s everyone’s responsibility to be sustainable. “It kicks off at 10 a.m. with a land honoring ceremony by Jimi Castillo. That will be followed by a presentation by Castillo about the responsibility that humans have in being respectful caretakers of the planet.
President Thomas A. Parham ‘will host a carbon commitment and award ceremony at noon. Presentation on environmental justice, composting, sustainable food and farming, and energy will also be offered. The Office of Sustainability, the Sustainability Club, the Sigma Pi Joseph fraternity, the Earth science, biology and chemistry clubs, and Kenny Seeton will all be involved.
Registration is required and the link is here.
On Wednesday, the focus will once again be on the community engagement symposium and volunteer fair. The Zoom presentation that day will involve three creative service-learning classes from different disciplines and how they dealt with educating in their classrooms while maneuvering through the challenges of the pandemic. It will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m and no registration is required.
Things wrap up Thursday with an interactive conversation between faculty, students and community partners. Community partners will share about their experiences working with students and faculty in the past and for faculty members to brainstorm ways that they can integrate this type of engagement in their courses. To register for the Zoom session, which begins at 11 a.m., visit here. For more information, visit here
