Advancing Climate Education (ACE) Initiative 

Advancing Climate Education" (ACE) at the University of Michigan (U-M) is a transformative initiative aimed at embedding climate and sustainability education (C/SE) across all curricula. By seeking to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to address the interconnected challenges of climate, sustainability, and justice, ACE builds on U-M’s commitment to carbon neutrality, student success, and existing educational opportunities. Through interdisciplinary collaboration across all 19 schools and colleges, ACE strives to elevate and expand the University’s climate education efforts. ACE envisions preparing students to be climate-literate leaders capable of driving transformative change toward a healthier, more sustainable, and just future.

Advancing Climate Education is a U-M Associate Dean-initiated effort, led by Associate Dean Dr. Michaela Zint and Dr. Jessica Michel, and co-created with students with support from Vice Provost Valeria Bertacco. In partnership with the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), the March 2023 Provost Seminar on Teaching and Learning (ACE 1.0) brought together hundreds of faculty, students, and staff to develop actionable climate education recommendations for U-M. 

Following the success of the inaugural ACE 1.0 event, ACE 2.0 focused on "Leadership for Turning Climate Anxiety into Action" in 2024. In partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), ACE 2.0 highlighted the essential role of emotions in mental health and climate engagement. This event again united hundreds of participants from across U-M in interactive sessions and discussions. This time, the event focused on strategies to manage climate anxiety, teach using climate emotion-informed practices, and cultivate a culture of resilience.

The initial ACE report and appendix describe recommendations for advancing climate education building on the current landscape of efforts. The ACE 2.0 report and associated documents, including the resource notebook, provide guidance for adopting emotion-informed strategies to achieve student well-being and climate action goals.

For more information, contact zintmich@umich.edu

ACE 1.0  (2023) | CRLT Provost Seminar on Teaching: Advancing Climate Education