https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WKuBhQ32lobSpONGEcwY-9rVDnfPiiED/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118043343982561864995&rtpof=true&sd=true

Why to Serve: Serving as a co-facilitator or coordinating committee Member gives you an opportunity to be directly involved in shaping the future goals and actions of the Working Group. It also gives you a chance to work closely with bright, dedicated, and compassionate people who are devoted to protecting democracy and the health of the Earth’s climate.

Open Positions:

Co-Facilitator: The responsibilities of the co-facilitator are to (1) preside over TA Educator coordinating committee and Working Group meetings; (2) ensure transparency and democratic decision making at all levels of the organization; (3) foster a sense of community and conviviality among Working Group members; and (4) serve as liaison to partner organizations and Third Act Central. For more details about the duties of the co-facilitator, please review the TA Educator Governance Handbook, which you can download by clicking link at the bottom of this announcement.

Coordinating Committee Member (3 openings): The key duties of a coordinating committee member are to receive information from and provide input to Co-Facilitators on all Educator Working Group decisions, including but not limited to meeting agendas, new proposals, Project Teams, initiatives, speakers, and activities as they pertain to TA Central, the TA Educator Working Group, and coordinating committee. For more information about the responsibilities of a CC member and the nominations process, please see the TA Educators’ Governance Document at the link provided below:

Governance Handbook

If you have any questions about the nominations process or the openings, please contact Kent Sandstrom at thirdacteducators@gmail.com.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pGx17n-AEQ3ggE4w5hsg8VRKJdjhJQtk/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X2_UOy12onf2bYlMVGmZuI-5f_oquf57/view?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QiRMyJcLWf7W26p2Lj_c9tiupEZa13lU/view

The newsletter will provide you with important details about our recent guest speakers, current activities, and future goals.

On that note, the deeply engaged Climate Law/IRA Project Team is taking our varied Power Point presentations around the country, addressing the climate crisis: its causes and collective solutions, especially the Biden Administration’s powerful new climate policies:  the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), additional environmental rules from the Biden Administration’s EPA, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL).   Bruce is presenting in Virginia, Diana in Arizona, Clare in Georgia, and Jackie in Michigan. Our target audiences are 18-34  year olds and 65+ year olds based on data that show these demographic groups hold climate as their priority issue, yet don’t necessarily get to the ballot box.  We are bringing these talks to Osher Lifelong Learning classes for seniors, university students, League of Women’s Voters Environmental groups, retirement homes, political candidate forums, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, and many more.

TA Educators Climate Law/IRA team is also “training the trainers” and has worked with Third Act Working Group members who are delivering presentations in their own states of Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Virginia, New Hampshire, Georgia, Oregon, along with TA Faith groups, and TA Educators.    (See this link to the Table of Contents template for the State of Michigan as one example.)

Please consider working with us and make the climate – election connection in your own community.  It’s fun, and gives you the chance to use your skills as an educator to discuss the most all-encompassing environmental policies this country has ever seen, while acting to prevent future politicians from undoing these policies; especially one who promises to “drill, baby, drill” on day one.

For more information contact Jackie at jkgoodmajk@gmail.com

We urge you to check out the Brennan Center for Justice, particularly their work on the vote— www.brennancenter.org/issues. They have helpful in-formation on voting threats and what needs to be done. Check out where your own state stands on issues like ease of registration, aggressive purging of voter rolls, and access for former felons. The Brennan Center is concerned about both voter and election worker intimidation. Vermont is the most recent state to ban guns at polling places, joining 11 other states. See what you can do about it. Read the report “How States Can Prevent Election in 2024 and Beyond,” at www.brennancenter.org/issues/defend-our-elections.

We also encourage you to review the work of Common Cause, especially their efforts to protect the vote—see www.commoncause.org/our-work/voting-and-elections/election-protection/. Common Cause offers training for poll workers, and it staffs hotlines for addressing questions and responding to challenges.

We also ask you to keep writing postcards and to help with phone banking with the following organizations:

Activate America:  thirdact.org/act/write-postcards-to-voters-in-2024/

The Environmental Voters Project: https://www.environmentalvoter.org.

You may also want to check out the work of Galvanize America to see what they do to raise awareness and energize voters to support their values: www.commoncause.org/our-work/voting-and-elections/election-protection/.

At a recent team meeting, Scott Lewis, a member of Third Act Florida and organizer of the Florida Climate
Educators Network, updated us on his activities. He had invited us to participate in a Zoom presentation by
Martha Monroe, who shared the North American Association for Environmental Education guidelines for
excellence in climate change education that focus on action and justice. Likewise, Alice Freund, an environmental scientist with experience teaching grade 5-12 science, provided us with a summary of New Jersey’s new standards for integrating climate change into 7 curricular areas in K-12 instruction.  It may be a model for other states who wish to take a non-legislative approach, but with accountability through a department of education.  For details, see https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sxus5NdYwrCFiUaDnyjuUwL-3d0iOkZJ/view .

Other initiatives under discussion or exploration include integrating climate education in community college courses, connecting with state retired-teachers associations to promote climate education, investigating the “Bending the Curve” curriculum developed at San Diego State University, and compiling a list of organizations that support or provide resources for educators in the area of climate change.  If you are interested in any of these efforts or have suggestion for these or other projects related to climate, please contact our project team by emailing David Reinking.

The newsletter will provide you with important details about our recent guest speakers, current activities, and future goals.