Colin Hennessy Elliott

Climate justice is a focused aspect of environmental justice that aims to uncover and support those most affected by climate change; hold accountable those responsible for contributing to human-affected climate change; and foster community-driven visions for a sustainable future. My experience living in Newark's Ironbound section, a heavily polluted area primarily inhabited by Black and Brown residents, deeply influenced me. Witnessing the environmental racism firsthand motivated me to align my work with climate and environmental justice movements. Now in Philadelphia, I aim to use my role at Drexel to develop teaching practices and research that support and learn from communities actively engaged in climate justice.

As an educator, I am committed to helping students develop critical perspectives that challenge conventional wisdom. In the Teacher Education program, I focus on preparing future teachers to address and transform educational inequities. For PhD students, I emphasize broad reading, critical reflection, and methodological rigor. My teaching approach includes ungrading, which de-emphasizes traditional evaluations in favor of learning through feedback. I believe teaching is relational, so I strive to create dialogic, community-focused classrooms.

At NYU, I co-developed a course on water that addressed climate change and justice, and I currently guide students in exploring justice issues in K-12 science education. I am also working on a project examining STEM learning opportunities in Philly’s community gardens and plan to integrate climate justice into Drexel’s new M.S. program in STEM Education & Society. Inspired by projects like Learning In Places, I aim to enhance community-engaged learning for climate justice, believing that authentic community involvement is crucial for effective climate justice work.