Theme: Environmental Education
Friday, October 18th
Educators, who, in our eyes, have the world’s most noble and under-appreciated calling, are probably the most well represented profession among Bioneers attendees. Come share your thoughts about how best to equip tomorrow’s citizens and leaders with the tools they will need to radically re-shape our civilization. Facilitated by Yeshe Salz, Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network (BayCAN).
October 18th | 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm | Exhibit Hall
Panelists
Yeshe Salz
Project Manager | Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network
Yeshe Salz, Project Manager for the Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network, is a coalition-builder, facilitator and climate justice advocate working at the nexus of climate resilience, community-driven planning and racial justice. Yeshe has organized with environmental justice organizations across the Bay Area such as PODER and CBE and worked internationally in the fields of indigenous community empowerment, cultural sovereignty and clean water rights.
Environmental literacy and social justice are inextricably linked, and recent changes in California’s curricula fully encourage pedagogical exploration of this linkage. Three new academic content frameworks (in Science, History-Social Science, and Health) promote challenge-based learning, in which student inquiry leads to student action in local communities. Students are also discovering nature-inspired design, i.e. Biomimicry, as part of this process. In this session, we will meet a school district representative, a teacher, and a student, who will share their perspectives about this intersection of environmental literacy and social justice. We will also experience a hands-on immersion into the Biomimicry design process with a focus on how we could apply these methods in our own schools and communities. With: Beth Rattner, Biomimicry Institute; Juanita Chan, Rialto Unified School District; Kavita Gupta, Freemont Union High School District. Moderated by Emily Schell, Executive Director, California Global Education Project; Caleb Jordan-McDaniels, Redwood High School.
October 18th | 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm | Larkspur Room
Panelists
Juanita Chan
Instructional Strategist | Rialto, California, Unified School District
Juanita Chan, M.A.Ed., an Instructional Strategist for the Rialto, California, Unified School District whose main focus is on math and science instruction, has a background in Entomology and plant vector pathogen epidemiology, among other disciplines, and has had many jobs in pedagogy, from teaching math and science at several grade levels to developing curriculums, organizing science fairs and leading various school departments.
Beth Rattner
Director | Biomimicry Institute
Beth Rattner directs the Biomimicry Institute's strategic vision, managing the organization's program development, fundraising, and marketing efforts. Her previous positions have included: working with William McDonough and Michael Braungart on The Upcycle; co-founding and leading the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute; directing one of the first sustainability business consulting firms, Blu Skye; and Business Manager for Hewlett Packard's Emerging Market Solutions (EMS) group.
Kavita Gupta
| National Geographic Educator Fellow
Kavita Gupta, a highly influential, award winning educator, a public high school teacher for 20+ years and member of the inaugural class of National Geographic Educator fellows, has been a leading advocate for holistic science education (including regarding Climate Change) in multiple leadership positions nationally. Kavita has also mentored many award winning student projects in prestigious science competitions and published many articles in educational journals.
Emily Schell
Executive Director | California Global Education Project
Emily M. Schell, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the California Global Education Project and serves as co-chair to the California Environmental Literacy Initiative. Her former positions include: teacher, principal, and Social Studies resource teacher at San Diego Unified School District; History-Social Science Coordinator at San Diego County Office of Education; liaison to National Geographic Education Foundation; and pre-service educator at San Diego State University.
Caleb Jordan-McDaniels
Winner of the 2019 Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge
Caleb Jordan-McDaniels is a budding biologist and engineer whose deep interest in biomimicry has been the foundation for a number of design projects. Most recently, Caleb led a small team of other high school students to win the 2019 Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge with a tide-based electricity generation system modeled after the seeds of Alsomitra macrocarpa, a species of vining gourd.
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood Award (RLA), aka the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” and the 10th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood College (RLC), a partnership between the RLA and universities worldwide. Come celebrate with RLA laureates and faculty and students from RLC Santa Cruz, and give your input to our plan for the next 10 years of action-research for the common good. With: Stuart Muir Wilson, permaculture designer and grandson of RLA laureate Bill Mollison; and special guests TBA. Hosted by: Chris Benner, Institute for Social Transformation at UC Santa Cruz; David Shaw, Right Livelihood College at UC Santa Cruz.
October 18th | 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm | World Cafe
Panelists
Chris Benner
Chair | Everett Program
Chris Benner, Ph.D., the Dorothy E. Everett Chair in Global Information and Social Entrepreneurship and a Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology at UC Santa Cruz, directs the Everett Program for Technology and Social Change and the Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation. He has authored or co-authored six books (most recently Equity, Growth and Community) and more that 70 journal articles, chapters and research reports.
Stuart Muir Wilson
Environmental Architect
Stuart Muir Wilson, an environmental architect, lecturer, writer, development consultant, Permaculture teacher and mushroom grower with a special focus on ecological justice issues, has worked at both international and grassroots levels in Mexico, Germany, Nepal the U.S. and Australia on a range of projects that seek to catalyze positive environmental and social systems change.
David Shaw
Founder | Santa Cruz Permaculture
David Shaw, a permaculture and whole systems designer, facilitator, and educator, founded Santa Cruz Permaculture and the Right Livelihood College at UC Santa Cruz, a partnership with the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” He supports communities locally and globally to transform their shared future through strategic dialogue and collective action.
Saturday, October 19th
Join an engaging conversation on intergenerational solidarity and the reciprocal learning that occurs when people at different life stages work together. The discussion will revolve around youth-led movements, adult ally-ship and the magic of sharing wisdom across generations. With: Carolyn Norr of Youth vs. Apocalypse (350.org’s Bay Area youth-led climate justice initiative); others TBA.
October 19th | 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm | Sausalito Room
Panelists
Carolyn Norr
Activist | Youth vs. Apocalypse
Carolyn Norr, an environmental justice activist since 4th grade, previously a teacher and youth group leader in Oakland, is an activist with Youth vs. Apocalypse, a Bay Area-based, diverse group of young climate justice activists working to lift the voices of youth, especially youth of color, and fight for a livable climate and an equitable, sustainable and just world.
Sunday, October 20th
A successful transition to a sustainable and just future will require masses of conscious citizens who feel genuinely connected to the Earth and to each other and are ready to act as authentic change-makers. Four of our nation’s most creative system-changers share innovative and effective approaches to education, for all age groups, that lead to cultural transformation. Join them for a lively discussion about creativity, power, and possibility. With: Vanessa LeBourdais, DreamRider Productions, creator of the Planet Protector Academy; Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman (aka Climbing PoeTree) award-winning multimedia artists, organizers, and educators; Brandi Mack, holistic health educator, Permaculture designer, National Director of The Butterfly Movement.
October 20th | 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm | Larkspur Room
Panelists
Brandi Mack
National Director | The Butterfly Movement
Brandi Mack, an Oakland, CA-based holistic health educator, massage therapist, and Permaculture designer, has worked in holistic health and ecological sustainability with youth and adults for 16+ years. She is currently National Director of The Butterfly Movement and serves on the boards of: Northern America Permaculture Magazine, Northern California Resilience Network, and Northern California Women in Permaculture.
Vanessa LeBourdais
Creator | Planet Protector Academy
Vanessa LeBourdais is the creator of the Planet Protector Academy, an award-winning interactive digital program that trains young kids to be change-agents on environmental issues. Her unique combination of digital arts, comedy, and ”gamification” creates transformative experiences that have activated a million kids in North America and India. Vanessa recently co-led a successful equity initiative in the Nonprofit Happy Hour Facebook group and is an Ashoka Changemaker Fellow.
Climbing PoeTree
Artists
Climbing PoeTree (Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman) are award-winning multimedia artists, organizers, educators and a spoken word duo who have independently organized more than 30 tours, taking their work from South Africa to Cuba, the UK to Mexico, and 11,000 miles around the U.S. on a bus running on recycled vegetable oil, presenting alongside powerhouses such as Vandana Shiva, Angela Davis, Alicia Keys, and Alice Walker, in venues ranging from the UN to Harvard to Riker's Island Prison.
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