Pima Community College is hosting its annual Climate Community Day on Tuesday, welcoming more than two dozen nonprofits to its downtown campus to build community and empower action.

The event has grown far beyond its initial roots four years ago. Inspired by Bard College's Climate Teach-In, the annual event has become a hub for climate education and real action.

In 2022, PCC adopted a Climate Action and Sustainability Plan that commits to producing real change and reducing energy use by 28% over the next year.

Phil Berry, director of the Office of Sustainability at Pima, said the annual event was born out of an epiphany that climate action needs to be more than just the annual educational effort associated with Earth Day.

"Earth Day is great, but we needed something that engaged people beyond a single day," he said. "This event has become our signature climate event."

Representatives from 25 nonprofit organizations from around the city will participate in this year’s event, including the city of Tucson’s Environmental Services and Storm to Shade program.

Berry said the event has been valuable in building relationships between participants and seeing them connect and collaborate in unexpected ways.

The organizations appreciate the opportunity to connect and break down barriers between students and each other.

These connections have led to many impactful partnerships, such as PCC's partnership with the Tucson Urban Bird Coalition, which Berry said wouldn't be possible without Climate Community Day.

Members of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition will provide opening remarks at this year's event. The youth-led organization has made major waves in Tucson, working closely with city officials on sustainability initiatives and helping to develop Tucson Unified School District's groundbreaking climate action plan.

Berry said PCC strives to elevate youth voices and empower the next generation to help inspire their peers while contributing their talents to solving real environmental challenges.

Author and Guggenheim Fellow Alison Hawthorne Deming will serve as the event's keynote speaker. Panels will include a group of students sharing their personal experiences with climate issues and representatives from three Tucson-based businesses discussing how climate challenges have influenced today's job market.

"We're not just talking about climate jobs. We're helping students see how sustainability skills can be integrated into any career path," Berry said.

One of the challenges of organizing such events is attracting students, according to Berry. Community colleges are very different from four-year universities, as their students often juggle busy lives with jobs and children. In the spring 2024 semester, more than 70% of PCC’s students were part time.

"They don't go home to a dorm, they go home to their significant other, their kids, or straight to work," Berry said. "That makes it a little harder to bring them in, but focusing on community and students together has evolved."

At first, the goal of Climate Community Day was simply to educate students about climate issues, but it quickly became clear this was unnecessary, as these challenges have been a defining part of their young lives.

"They don't need to be told that it's getting hotter. They need a space to discuss what to do about it," Berry said.

PCC has seen an increased demand for environmental- and sustainability-related courses. Over the past few years, the college has expanded from one climate change course to seven courses with a focus on sustainability.

Berry talked about two students in an introductory sustainability course, saying that at first, neither of them considered a career in environmental policy.

But by the end of the semester, they were both hooked and switched majors—one to political science and the other to sociology. Berry said he was amazed at how the course had opened their eyes and changed their career paths.

Climate Community Day takes place April 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pima’s Downtown Campus, 1255 N. Stone Ave. The free event is open to the community.

View the agenda and register here.

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

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