Climate Justice Fellowship: Empowering student leaders across Northeastern University 

A new program at Northeastern University is mobilizing students to take active roles within the climate justice movement.  

These ambitious minds are participating in the Climate Justice Fellowship Program, which was launched in Spring 2023 to support, educate, and empower emerging student leaders in climate justice as they pursue their own growth and development through one of Northeastern’s many experiential learning opportunities. The initiative grew from a collaborative effort between Northeastern’s Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub (the Hub) and the Social Impact Lab (SIL) in response to the University’s Climate Justice Action Plan Process.  

Students in the first cohort of the program participated in community meetings and trainings on structural racism and environmental justice, contributing to the development of the Climate Justice Action Plan (CJAP). Though the CJAP planning process is concluding, it was evident to both the SIL and the Hub that the Fellowship experience and access to these trainings and community connections was vital to continue.   

Building on the success from the first cohort, the second cohort was tasked with applying a climate justice lens to their respective experiences, whether in a co-op, class or volunteer position. “How can you begin to change a culture or a process or a way of thinking that leads towards more justice?” said Torrey Spies, Senior Sustainability Strategist at Northeastern’s Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities (PREF) Division. Since the program began in January, she has been working closely with the latest cohort of nine students to answer this question, foster dialogue between fellows, help connect their work with the community, and integrate their efforts into the broader climate justice movement. 

As each student embarked on their own projects, they also came together both with each other and with their Roxbury neighbors to learn and grow. Partnering with Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), fellows listened and learned about environmental injustices and participated in a Toxics Tour in their own backyard in Roxbury. These experiences, coupled with individual projects, helped provide a framework for advancing this important work.   

“The fun creative challenge for us will be to continue to provide a curriculum that’s meaningful based on students’ interests while integrating whatever is new and exciting in the collaboration between the Hub and the Social Impact Lab,” said Rebecca Riccio, Director of SIL. The diversity of the cohort’s projects speaks to the versatility behind Northeastern’s student body. We had the opportunity to speak with three of the fellows and learn more about their endeavors as they strive to implement change throughout this four-month program. 

Orla Molloy, a third-year Environmental Studies and Political Science major with a concentration in Public Policy, applied for the fellowship to bridge the gap between the two disciplines of her major and drive meaningful change. 

“Especially through mentors in the program, I was able to see how as people in a privileged position at an institution, we can leverage pathways to create more equitable systems,” said Molloy. 

Throughout the fellowship, Molloy has been formulating a policy memorandum integrating climate justice principles to address food access issues. Her research highlights significant disparities between neighborhoods like Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan compared to areas like Back Bay.  

“It just goes to show the nature of scarcity because Back Bay is relatively close to Roxbury, so it really is quite stark and alarming,” Molloy explained.  

Considering a future for her project beyond the fellowship, Molloy hopes to start to close the sizable gap between academic research and on-the-ground steps that propel tangible change.  

Avani Prakash, a second-year Environmental Studies major with a concentration in Green Economy, rooted her fellowship project in her co-op at Cleantech Open Northeast. This company aids early-stage cleantech startups in developing their business models through an accelerator program. However, the deployment of climate technology solutions is often unevenly distributed or limited from disadvantaged communities due to economic barriers. Prakash aims to minimize disparities, ensuring sustainable technologies benefits disadvantaged communities. 

“It’s not just about developing innovative climate solutions, it’s about ensuring that those solutions are accessible to all,” said Prakash. 

Prakash was further inspired when attending and reflecting on the CJAP community conversation with other fellows on Thursday, March 28th. “That event was a testament to the power of community organizing and collective action in the fight for climate justice,” Prakash noted.