What’s a Typical Week Like in Our Learning for Action Course?

Daniel Potter -

So you’re ready to learn and do more about climate change. Perhaps you’re considering our signature course, Climate Change: Learning for Action.

In fact, you might have already heard us say it’s a 12-week program—around 6-10 hours a week—that mixes live sessions over Zoom with asynchronous work. Still, there’s a lot left to wonder, so we’re here to demystify it all. Here’s what you can expect.

The program is all remote, but you’re not alone.

You’ll be in a cohort with many other fellows ready to take on climate change. We launch new Learning for Action cohorts every six weeks or so, and each one is named for an animal threatened by the climate crisis. (As an aside, our first cohort back in 2020 was the Monarchs. The person writing this was in the Rhinos cohort in 2021.)

Within your cohort, you’ll be part of a smaller lab group that meets weekly with an instructor. Our instructors are highly knowledgeable and caring individuals with expertise in areas from clean energy to heterodox economics. They’re also in a range of time zones, and when you’re signing up, you’ll be able to choose what times of day work best for you, whether you’re a morning person or a night owl.

These weekly lab groups are a chance to connect with peers, compare notes, and get support as you explore different aspects of climate change, its impacts, and climate solutions. They’re also where you’ll sync up on group projects as you pick different focus areas to delve into, and where you’ll share your findings.

Outside labs, you can keep up with everything going on and connect with peers via a Slack group for your cohort.

You’ll do some of the work on your own schedule.

Each week you’ll have one or two asynchronous classes to go through; these combine reading, video, infographics, and optional quizzes. Many can be finished in under an hour, but they’re designed to let you dig deeper into whatever interests you.

We go into a lot more detail on the topics we cover in our Learning for Action course syllabus, but here’s the short version:

  • We start with the basic science behind why the planet is getting hotter, then turn to the impacts. (We begin here because we believe you can’t solve a problem without first understanding it.)
  • Then we turn to solutions—starting with an overview of the different “mental models” we all use to evaluate which solutions are most worthwhile.
  • Some of the solutions classes cover areas that tackle the climate crisis head-on. (For instance, we devote two classes to energy, along with an optional technical deep-dive, because a clean-energy overhaul is critical to halting global heating.)
  • Other solutions classes are a little less direct, but no less important. These cover climate communications, politics, economics, and several other areas.

The principal author and architect behind our classes is our chief learning officer and co-founder, Dr. Kamal Kapadia, with help from a team of specialists. As for the course’s five assignments, their main purpose is to help you uncover ways your skills and passions can translate into climate action in your community or your career.

You’ll also hear from an array of experts.

In addition to the aforementioned lab groups, each week we host live workshops and conversations with guest experts. These range from a close look at present-day climate impacts with Dr. Chip Fletcher to a discussion of the emotional resilience needed to take on a problem as big as climate change—as well as keynotes from experts like journalist David Roberts, author Mary Annaïse Heglar, and professor and activist Dr. Julia Steinberger.

If you’re keen to grow your network of contacts or find a climate mentor, this is the place.

Don’t feel over-committed.

We get it—life happens. If something comes up and you can’t make it to a live session, they’re recorded, so you can catch the replay. And if you sign up for the course and realize you need to defer to a later cohort, we’ll help make it happen.

In fact, we offer full refunds for the first three weeks of the course. We think you’ll be glad to be part of our program, but if you decide you’re not after a couple of weeks, you can get your money back.

Here's the nitty-gritty.

Below is how a typical week might unfold for a fellow in the Learning for Action course. The main required events are the aforementioned lab sessions—which occur each Tuesday at various times you can choose to suit your schedule—and guest talks on Wednesdays.

  • Sunday: New weekly classes unlock. (These are readings and videos you can go through asynchronously.)
  • Monday: Coffee chats and careers sessions. (These are optional and usually happen at 8 a.m. Pacific.)
  • Tuesday: Meet with your lab group instructor and peers at the same time each week. (You can choose what time; these are required to earn a certificate.)
  • Wednesday: Expert guest talks and workshops. (These are also required and usually happen at 8 a.m. Pacific time—or occasionally 7 p.m.)
  • Thursday: Deep dives into subject matter of recent classes. (These are optional and begin in the third week of the course.)
  • Friday: Cohort Connections – co-working and networking. (These optional sessions are typically at 8 a.m. Pacific.)
  • Also Friday: Watch parties for fellows in the Asia-Pacific region. (If you want to catch the replay of a live event you missed in the company of Terra.do staff and other fellows from your cohort, this is the place.)

Again, if you can't make it to a live session—maybe you're taking a trip or have another event you can't reschedule—we make recordings available so you can stay caught up!

Take your next step.

It’s not too late to make a difference, but curbing climate change is going to take a lot of talented, driven people like you. That’s why our application process isn’t about exclusivity—we take a “big tent” approach to accelerating climate action.

So go ahead and apply, if you haven’t already. We’re working to stop the planet from getting hotter, and we want you with us.