Virtual Event: Unburdening the Climate Generation – Jun 11

Posted by Pulitzer Center on June 3, 2025

Earlier this spring, the U.S. Commerce Department cut $4 million in funding to a climate research center at Princeton University, saying the initiatives scare children. But experts say canceling support for one of the nation’s top climate research programs will not make young people less anxious about climate change—it will just give them less information about the threats they might face and their potential to find hope through solutions.

And young people are—in fact—focused on finding solutions. Despite climate doomerism, climate change is proving to be the world’s most powerful driver of innovation and progress, a transformation that one generation is leading. The “Climate Generation” born after 1989 is reshaping our understanding of work, culture, “progress,” human rights, and community.

Join the Climate Psychology Alliance North America and the Pulitzer Center to discuss ways to support the generation that is finding solutions after being born into crisis. Together, we’ll learn strategies to take action and defend climate education, brainstorming ways to build capacity for climate action, even when things feel overwhelming.

The event will begin with a short discussion among panelists on what it takes to defend climate research, support Gen Z in tackling climate issues, and the oversimplification of the term “climate anxiety.” The conversation will then transition to small-group breakouts based on attendees’ interests.

Teachers, professors, editors, and all who work closely with Gen Z are encouraged to participate. Attendees should read “Climate Change Is Driving a Global Youth Revolution,” the first story in Stephanie Hanes’ Pulitzer Center-supported Climate Generation project beforehand. You’re also encouraged to submit your own questions and discussion topics ahead of time, either for breakout sessions or large group Q&A sessions.

Date and Time: June 11, 2025, 6:00-7:30 PM

Learn more and register.