Community Audit

Climates of Resistance critiques systemic environmental inequalities with particular attention to the experiences – and active resistance – of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour in the 21st century. The course starts by examining the concepts of intersectionality and systemic injustice, and then considers three key issues for environmental justice: distribution, recognition, and participation. Learn more about the course themes here.

As part of an ongoing commitment to make university knowledge more accessible, and thanks to the support of the Firehouse Fund in San Francisco, a public version of this course is offered through a designated “Community Audit”. The Community Audit version of this course is completely free and open to all. It will not come with any formal university credit, but participants who have fully engaged will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course, and may request letters of recommendation from the Teaching Team.

Participating in the Community Audit will require approximately 3 hours/week. This will generally involve:

• 1-1.5 hours of guided online learning, self-paced and flexibly timed; and

• one online Zoom discussion each week lasting about 90 minutes.

Community Audit participants are asked to commit to the full course and are expected to complete preparatory studies each week before their group meeting, for the sake of cohort bonding and equitable exchange with their discussion section. Participation is contingent upon abiding by the Principles for Anti-Racist Learning and the Discussion Guidelines that will be created by your group during the first session.

Logistical Details

To accommodate a variety of time zones and schedules, a number of sections led by a skilled Teaching Team of facilitators will be offered for community participants. You will meet with the same group at the same time each week. Each group will be limited to roughly fifteen participants, so you can get to know each other and exchange ideas in a dialogue-based format.

Before each session, you will complete a number of online exercises. This will involve watching videos, reading short articles, and reflecting on prompts. The content and questions you’ll be exploring have been curated by Becca based on the same materials used in the formal Syracuse University course. During your 90-minute group discussion, your facilitator will encourage you to share your perspectives and invite you to ask questions of each other as we all seek to better understand the reality of environmental racism and identify strategies to address it.

You can learn more about the content and set-up of the Spring 2022 Community Audit here. No preparation is required before signing up, but you are welcome to explore the first few sets of online exercises as you decide whether this opportunity is right for you.

To confirm your interest in the Community Audit, please complete the form below. Email info@climatesofresistance.org with any questions.