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"When it comes to taking action to solve climate change, steps like recycling, using less plastic, or saying goodbye to plastic straws – our collective intent usually comes with the hope that we will leave our planet a little better than its current state. But what happens when the answers aren't a fit for all people?" In the first part of our climate action conversation, we spoke with two organizations that are influencing change in their respective industries. In this second part, hear from youth activist Daphne Frias, who explains how climate policies often exclude people with disabilities, and Jo Dodds, president of Australia’s Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action who came close to losing her home in a devastating fire in 2018. They explain how their work is customized to fit the needs of their communities, and how grassroots efforts contribute to a bigger conversation and real change when it comes to matters of preserving the planet.

Tired of the same voices talking about science and the environment? Tune into the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast, a biweekly show that dives into the career paths, research, and big ideas from early career researchers from underrepresented groups. Serious conversations, big laughs, tears, and storytelling—the show takes an unflinching look at the intersection of our environment and social justice. You can listen and subscribe to Agents of Change in Environmental Justice on all major podcast platforms or visit the homepage at https://agentsofchangeinej.org.

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Between wildfires, floods and other severe weather discrepancies taking place each year, thinking about the solutions to the issue of climate change is overwhelming. And even when people do their best to do their individual part, it can feel like a drop in the bucket, or like it’s simply not enough. But what action, of any size, has the potential to drive real, global change – influencing leaders and driving focus of the largest climate issue at hand? If we join our voices together, do we have the ability to make change across education, nonprofit, public and private sectors?

In this episode, we hear from Amanda McKenzie, CEO of Australia’s leading climate change communications organization Climate Council, and Derrick Emsley, Co-Founder and CEO of the sustainable clothing brand Tentree -- two individuals who have found their communities and stakeholders to be at the core of their success. Although they sit on different degrees of the climate conversation spectrum, both Amanda and Derrick believe that a combination of technology and effective communication has the potential of giving people privilege to use their voices – creating a ripple effect of positive changes on the planet.

Tired of the same voices talking about science and the environment? Tune into the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast, a biweekly show that dives into the career paths, research, and big ideas from early career researchers from underrepresented groups. Serious conversations, big laughs, tears, and storytelling—the show takes an unflinching look at the intersection of our environment and social justice. You can listen and subscribe to Agents of Change in Environmental Justice on all major podcast platforms or visit the homepage at https://agentsofchangeinej.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Education Empowered! Last season, we discussed student and faculty wellbeing. Today, we are going to revisit that conversation with a new guest who offers a different perspective.

Joining the show is Dominique Thompson, an award-winning UK General Practitioner, young people's mental health expert, author, and educator. She has over 20 years of clinical experience caring for students, including as a police and expedition doctor, and most recently as Director of Service at the University of Bristol Students' Health Service. She was named Bristol Healthcare Professional of the Year 2017, and in 2019, she was nominated as one of the Top 100 West Women of the Year.

If that’s not impressive enough, Dominique has also helped design apps and websites to support student mental health and writes books on the topic.

Today, Dominique and Jason explore student wellbeing and mental health, and what schools and faculty can do to better support student wellness.

Key Takeaways:

• Toxic Perfectionism is Plaguing the Upcoming Generations: It’s important to communicate to students that not only should they go out and try new things, but that it’s okay to fail at those new things. Today’s generations face higher standards of perfection in life and are more prone to certain mental health issues including anxiety and depression related to this increase.
• Mental Illness is Slowly Losing its Stigma: Creating awareness is the first step to solving a problem. Emphasis on mental health and wellbeing has long gone ignored, but thanks to student groups, progressive staff and faculty, and shifting cultural attitudes, awareness of these issues has increased over the years. As awareness increases, more solutions are found and students can be better supported.
• Proactive Approach to Mental Health: Instead of waiting for a hotline call, a better way to nurture healthy mindsets is by creating early awareness of common struggles. This means recognizing early warning signs and helping students address their feelings proactively through appropriate therapies.

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.

This week, we dive into the work Southern New Hampshire University is doing to better serve incoming students; from redesigning the admissions experience to rethinking which marketing strategies resonate best. SNHU recently won the Salesforce Excellence in Recruiting and Admissions Innovation Award, and here to talk about what changes SNHU has implemented and why is Senior Director of MarTech & Growth Marketing, Timothy Cerato.

Tim is a growth marketer and technologist with 10 plus years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing. He started his career doing work-study at SNHU, left for a time to work at a startup, but found himself called back to education. When he came back to SNHU, they began the process of re-platforming the whole school to a tech stack geared towards online education that has the capacity to double, if not triple, their student body. 

In this episode, Tim walks us through some of his thought processes around how SNHU is working on shifting consumer behavior to further benefit their student and potential student body. Plus, Tim shares some of the ways he’s worked to improve the student experience by  engaging students in new, innovative ways on SNHU’s website.

Key Takeaways:

• Experimenting with ways to grow: SNHU made the move to revamp their admissions procedures, making the process quicker and all online for the first time. The timing of this move was paramount to their success as an organization and has opened the doors of educational opportunity to tens of thousands of new potential students.  
• Communicating in the ways that students need: There has been a lot of research around the quality of communication between students and their universities. Learning what students need - and don’t need - from a university’s website and making the process of enrolling easier have been game-changers for SNHU. 
• Working changes into the organization through experimentation: With Cerato’s help, SNHU has been running a series of smaller experiments that help them test what works and what doesn’t. These micro-experiments provide insights into what initiatives are most beneficial to students and should be expanded on or further invested in.

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.