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The Federal TRIO Programs, rooted in the civil rights movement, have empowered students from all backgrounds to achieve higher education for nearly 60 years. These programs were created to ensure that every student, regardless of family income or parents’ educational level, has the opportunity to develop their talents, contribute to society, and face the future with knowledge, skill, and hope.
New Challenges in a Warming World
Since TRIO’s inception in the 1960s, each generation has faced its own set of challenges. Today’s TRIO students and staff are confronted with an especially pressing issue: the climate crisis. As scientists and experts warn that the world has entered “uncharted territory,” the impacts of climate change are being felt more deeply than ever. These impacts are not distributed equally, with over 90% of weather-related disaster deaths and economic losses occurring in developing countries. This underscores the urgent need to address climate change, not just as an environmental issue but as a matter of global justice.
Renowned figures like Jane Goodall emphasize that while the situation is dire, there is still hope to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Goodall notes the profound connections between the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, and issues of poverty and inequality, stating, “There is also an imperative that we must work together, joining hands to meet this challenge.”
Empowering TRIO Students to Lead
To equip TRIO students with the tools they need to address these challenges, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, in partnership with several universities and educational organizations, developed the TRIO Inclusive, Strong, and Green (iStronG) curriculum. This innovative curriculum was piloted between 2019 and 2023 at institutions such as the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the University of Kansas, and the University of Georgia, among others.
The iStronG curriculum is designed to be accessible to all students, regardless of their interest in math and science careers. Built around a six-week Upward Bound summer program, the curriculum includes 25 modular lessons that TRIO programs can use in full or in part. The iStronG curriculum aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards and President Biden’s Executive Order on Sustainability, which emphasizes the need to build a climate and sustainability workforce and advance environmental justice.
As Jonathan McKenzie, Executive Director of the Family Centered Educational Agency in Chicago, one of the original iStronG pilot sites, noted, “I’m excited about this project, especially as it offers the opportunity to meet so many of the Upward Bound required services, including college readiness, science, math (STEM), and technology services.”
My next blog will explore how the iStronG curriculum empowers students to tackle climate challenges with practical, solutions-based learning and a focus on systems thinking.
Dr. Cahalan, a senior fellow at the Pell Institute, is the former Pell Institute Director and served as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the NSF iTest grant #1759163, which funded the development of the iStronG (Inclusive, Strong, and Green) All-Hands-on-Deck curriculum designed specifically for TRIO programs. You can contact her via email at [email protected].