What is a Teach-In?
A teach-in is a day when an entire university, school, group, or faith organization puts aside business as usual to come together to focus on a single topic. Teach-ins involve faculty, students, staff, and citizens from all disciplines and fields of interest.
The National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions consists of four main components.
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Webcast: Host a screening of the webcast. "The First 100 Days," featuring a number of luminaries from the climate movement, and leading into a discussion of positive solutions to global warming and its effects. |
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Teach-In: Hold a teach-in at the university, K-12, or neighborhood level—educate each other and your communities about climate change and how we can stop it. Check out our DIFFERENT MODELS HERE. |
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Climate Dialogue: Engage in Green Democracy. invite your local or regional legislators to attend your teach-in events, or ask us to invite a federal Congressperson to attend via video conference from Washington, D.C. |
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100 Days of Action: Follow the 100 Days of Action calendar—keep the excitement level up, and pressure on our policymakers by engaging in direct actions, communication with legislators, and study groups. |
Is it a lot of work to participate in the National Teach-In?
Our Teach-In Model takes only a few people to organize, but guarantees participation by dozens of faculty and staff, and thousands of students. In around seven hours, you can have all the major pieces in place for a large-scale, full-day event. Our community (DIY) teach-in model can be implemented with an afternoon or evening of brainstorming among friends, and a few hours of follow-up. Anyone can be involved—all you need is a room,
an Internet connection, and the desire to create change.
I’m interested in the project, but I’m not sure yet what we’re going to do or how we’re going to do it. Should I wait until we have a plan to sign up?
You don’t need to have your event fully mapped out before you sign up. All you need is a handful of positive thinkers and the intent to make something happen. Maybe you’ll only have the resources to screen the webcast; maybe you’ll put together a campus-wide festival—all of these things and more are possible. The important thing is to plant your flag on the map and join the hundreds who are already signed up. Your flag helps encourage others to do the same—don’t wait!
Who heads up the National Teach-In?
The National Teach-In is the project of a non-profit organization, Education for Global Warming Solutions (EdSolv), in Portland, Oregon; the Teach-In is directed by Dr. Eban Goodstein, Economics Professor at Lewis & Clark College. Lewis & Clark's President has endorsed the project, and the college has provided office space for HQ organizers. Lewis & Clark students and faculty will be holding an on-campus event on February 5th.
What is the relationship between The National Teach-In and Focus the Nation?
The January 31st, 2008 teach-in—the biggest in US history—was called Focus the Nation, and it was run by the Project Director, Professor Eban Goodstein, from the current national office at Lewis & Clark College. Following the success of the January, 2008 teach-in, the board of the non-profit that oversaw Focus the Nation developed a different direction than that of Dr. Goodstein.
As a result, Goodstein is now leading the National Teach-In from a new non-profit organization, Education for Global Warming Solutions (EdSolv). Focus the Nation and The National Teach-In are not related.
Is the Teach-In “political”?
The National Teach-In is a non-partisan, nonprofit initiative and does not advocate specific legislation. As a basis for discussion, The Teach-In highlights the recommendations of the President's Climate Action Project (PCAP), a climate action plan for the first 100 days of the incoming administration.
How can faith and community groups get involved?
A special, faith-based webcast will be available for religious organizations to use as a launching point for their discussions of climate change and policy decisions. Community and civic groups are welcome to use the First 100 Days webcast, and to incorporate ideas from either the DIY Teach-In curriculum or the university model as best suits their organizational needs. All groups are encouraged to reach out within their communities, or to coordinate their efforts with other events at nearby institutions.
How is The National Teach-In funded?
We are funded through business sponsorships and individual and foundation donations. Our primary sponsors are listed on our home page. You can help, too!
How will the webcast work?
In order to screen the webcast, all you need is a computer with a high-speed Internet connection and a projector. It will be available for download at least a week prior to February 5th, so you will be able to preview it in advance and decide how best to use it. You will be able to download complementary discussion materials, as well.
For those with limited resources or energy, the webcast screening is an event in itself. We hope you will use it as the basis for a full-scale teach-in, and take advantage of the timing and collective national interest to make your February 5th event as big as possible. For those who are committed to sustaining their engagement for the full 100 Days and beyond, the webcast is a launching point that will provide focus for other events throughout the spring. We encourage everyone to incorporate whatever resources and networks are available in order to make our voices heard and our movement strong.
We want to participate in Green Democracy; who invites the legislators?
If you would like to invite a federal Congressperson to attend your teach-in via video conference, we have a staff person in Washington, D.C. who will be happy to arrange that. We ask that you leave the D.C. invitations to us, to prevent those members of Congress from receiving an overwhelming number of similar requests.
We encourage you to invite local and regional legislators to attend your teach-in event, and recommend that you do so personally. We have invitation letter templates available for download, and you can locate contact information for your elected officials HERE.
How should we use the 100 Days of Action calendar?
If you’re ready to keep the pressure on policymakers and make the most of the First 100 Days, check out the 100 DAYS OF ACTION calendar. Students at Lewis & Clark college designed the calendar to provide inspiration and clear objectives for activist peers across the country. Whether you mark your engagement by one day or one hundred, we have ideas that can help make a difference.
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