CCESS2026 Welcome and Call for Proposals

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CCESS2026 "Ways of Knowing in Climate Change Education" October 14-15, 2026

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Call for Proposals

Climate change education relies on diverse, multi-/inter-/and trans-disciplinary ways of knowing – including Indigenous and traditional knowledge, information derived from empirical scientific data, measurements, and models, experiential place-based/outdoor learning, community storytelling, citizen science, and collective engagement with diverse artistic practices.

CCESS2026 will examine diverse epistemological and methodological frameworks for advancing formal and informal climate change education. We welcome proposals exploring all ways of knowing, especially culturally responsive and socially transformative pedagogies oriented toward climate justice for all, humans and nonhumans alike. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and young scholars are especially encouraged to attend and present their scholarly and creative work.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge
  • Decolonizing climate change education and research
  • Outdoor, place-based, and experiential learning
  • Critical and transformative pedagogies
  • Multi/inter/trans-disciplinary teaching and learning
  • Teaching Nature-based solutions in practice
  • Artificial Intelligence and climate change education
  • Addressing solastalgia and eco-anxiety through climate action
  • Land ethics and the Rights of Nature paradigm
  • Exploring pathways to escape ecological overshoot
  • Overcoming partisanship in climate change awareness

 

Proposals should be framed in one of the following formats:

  • 60-minute panels including 3-5 panelists (on-site or online)
  • 60-minute interactive workshops (on-site)
  • 60-minute sessions including 3-5 presenters (on-site or online)
  • 20-minute individual presentations (on-site or online)
  • Posters and art exhibits (on-site only).

Please submit your abstract proposal (150-200 words) here by July 31, 2026.

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Call for Sponsors

CCESS is a free annual community summit hosted by the GVSU Climate Change Education Solutions Network. It provides forum for dialogue, collaboration, and sharing of ideas to support solution-oriented climate change education. Your support helps us to bring outstanding speakers, increase public awareness, and facilitate important conversations about sustainable climate change solutions. All CCESS2026 sponsors will be recognized on the conference program and website.

GVSU Sponsors are invited to email your pledges to [email protected] to arrange internal transfers.

Community sponsors are invited to make donations via GVSU University Development page, where you can select “Climate Change Education Solutions Network” as a recipient.

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GVSU CCESS 2026 Planning Committee

Brian Deyo (English), Abbe Forbes (Student Affairs), Yumiko Jakobcic (Office of Sustainability Practices), Elena Lioubimtseva (Geography), Azizur Molla (Public Health), Heather Moody (Geography), Tierney Powell (English), Jordyn Stoll (Biology), Rebecca Williams (Interdisciplinary Studies)

 

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Page last modified March 13, 2026