Climate Action Accelerator
Meaningful, intersectional, and practical actions for the climate crisis, supercharged by your unique strengths and values.
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Course overview
Discover your agency and finally have peace of mind
For anyone who has been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, uncertain, or anxious about the state of our world.
For everyone who is ready to take action towards a livable future for all.
Move through uncertainty to find your purpose (and people) in the climate movement.
The Climate Action Accelerator is an 8-session cohort-based course designed to:
- reconnect us with ourselves & our values
- learn the current solutions available to us
- guides to map our unique contribution to the work ahead of us
There's a focus on accelerating action through regenerative solutions while grounding the experience in permission for rest and compassion — for ourselves and others as humans going through this exceptionally challenging experience.
Come and share the experience of going through climate change with a like minded community.
Who this course is for
01
You're concerned, often deeply affected by the state of the climate crisis.
Anxiety is a constant companion.
02
You know you want to do something, but you're unsure of where to start or how to make the impact meaningful. You ask, "What can I do?"
03
You know it's happening; you know we need to act, but you're not an expert. You crave deeper discussions about what's possible in future.
What you’ll get out of this course
Perspectives: why is it so hard for our communities to take action?
We are holding more and more weight from the world.
We don't know how to make mistakes.
We don't let ourselves rest until we have it 'right,' so we often don't rest.
We need a different skillset and a different story of what's possible.
An understand of how climate deeply affects equity
Exploring the intersection of the climate crisis and systemic inequity
Regenerative, intersectional solutions that are available to us today
Explore solutions that are available today and create your own climate action map to include your values, strengths, and best next steps for meaningful impact.
See practical examples of kind, bold acts of courage that help change our world (ex: tag company, share out, roku exmp
How to stop being so hard on ourselves and generate the energy required for climate action.
We are all so good at being hard on ourselves. The average modern human rarely feels satisfied, both under-stimulated physically and overstimulated mentally and is constantly frustrated.
How to talk about climate change
Using the MBTI framework as a foundation, learn practical ways to have meaningful conversations about climate that create discussion and action rather than judgement and retreat.
An exploration of your unique strengths. Learn these in relation to our culture's expectations and opportunities.
Using the MBTI framework, we'll explore your individual strengths and how these can support your personal values and climate action.
Perspective, learning, and community
This course is not a lecture.
It is a chance to learn and connect with other like minded individuals who share your concerns about our future and want to take action.
I hope you'll come to experience a shared sense of purpose and connection through community.
Meet your instructor
Madhura Deshpande
Madhura Deshpande
Hi, I’m Madhura and I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m a sensitive soul on a mission to help humans lead lives that represent their most authentic selves, grounded in their values and strengths.
I’m passionate about making the world a kinder place for everyone, one that’s rooted in justice and equity and values our relationship to the rest of the natural world.
I’m a big fan of the big picture and determined to face reality head on, no matter where it takes me. I want to understand:
- What’s happening to our world?
- What does it all feel so hard and why is it getting more and more chaotic?
- How can we be of service in ways that really matter?
These are some of the questions that I chase.
I’m tired of trying to distract myself through this life, from what I know to be true in my bones: the world is in trouble and it needs our help. I'm here to work with anyone who wants to take meaningful action, together.
Course syllabus
8 live sessions • 24 lessons • 6 projects
Week 1
- ✍️
Processing your experience with the MBTI assessment
Submit by Sep 12 - 📄
Working well with all MBTI conflict pairs
- 📄
Optional: Understanding Motivation
Sep
7
Who are we in context of society? (Part 1)
Sep
8
Who are we in context of society? (Part 2)
Understanding you: who are you in context of our society?
Week 2
- 📄
Making Mistakes: Brene Brown's take on why it's so hard for us.
- 📄
The culture we create for children around making mistakes.
- 📄
Emotions in our bodies
- ✍️
Exercising our 'mistake-making muscles:' an art project
Submit by Sep 14 - ✍️
Optional reflection project: Stephen Covey Competence model
Submit by Sep 13 - 📄
Optional: NPR podcast, Making Mistakes (multiple Ted Talk presenters)
- 📄
Introduction
- 📄
Stress & overwhelm
- 📄
Anxiety & its coping mechanisms
- 📄
Fear & Dread
- 📄
Using fear, anxiety, & dread to learn
- 📄
Vulnerability
- 📄
Shame, Guilt, Humiliation, & Embarassment
- 📄
Shame, deep dive
- 📄
Humiliation
- 📄
Perfectionism
- 📄
Self-Compassion
Sep
12
Tools for truth and resilience (Part 1)
Sep
14
Tools for truth and resilience (Part 2)
Our Relationship with Making Mistakes
Part 1 focuses on our relationship to mistakes and how to move through the experience successfully.
Emotions of Climate (& Privilege): Uncertainty
"Places we go when things are uncertain or too much." -- Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart
Emotions of Climate (& Privilege): Vulnerability
"Places we go when things are uncertain or too much" -- Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart
Emotions of Climate (& Privilege): Mistakes
"Places we go when we fall short" -- Brene Brown, Atlast of the Heart.
Week 3
- ✍️
Reflection: The Story of Stuff
Submit by Sep 28 - 📄
What got us here won't get us there.
- ✍️
Reflection: meaningful solutions
Submit by Sep 28 - 📄
Solutions: an introduction by Project Drawdown
- 📄
Solutions: a detailed exploration by Project Drawdown
- 📄
The role of business in climate action, by Project Drawdown
- 📄
Accelerators: an exploration by Project Drawdown
Climate realities: how we got here
Climate realities: where to go from here
Week 4
- 📄
Notes from our session
- 📄
Action across time, by Project Drawdown
- ✍️
Finding my meaningful solutions
Submit by Oct 3
Sep
27
Climate realities and the most meaningful solutions (part 1)
Sep
28
Climate realities and the most meaningful solutions (part 2)
Which solutions mean the most to you?
Week 5
Week 6
Oct
12
Designing your unique impact in the world (Part 1)
Week 7
Oct
16
Designing your unique impact in the world (Part 2)
Week 8
Course schedule
5-8 hours per week
Cohorts meet MWF or Tue/Th
Cohort 1: 1-2:30 pm Cohort 2: 6-7:30 pm
Cohort 1: Aug 18—Sept. 4
Run time: (2.5 weeks), meets 3x/week
Meetings: M/W/F from 1-2:30 pm EST
Cohort 2: Sept 5-28,
Run time: 4 weeks, meets 2x/week
Meetings: T/Th, from 6:00-7:30 pm
Weekly reading
1 - 2 hour per week
Additional weekly items will be reflections and short readings designed to process the information we cover together.
Learning is better with cohorts
Active hands-on learning
This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams
Learn with a cohort of peers
Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you