Our Mission
We are a team of five students at Park University seeking to spread awareness about climate change. In order to make a difference, people must be aware and well-informed about the issue. By focusing on education,training, awareness, and access to information, it will encourage future public participation and international cooperation. We want to emphasize that making small changes in daily routines can make a big impact on slowing climate change. You do not have to make life-altering decisions to help the environment.
Why does it matter?
There are many reasons to care about climate change and the education surrounding it. Currently only 59% of Americans believe man-made is an issue and that climate change is being caused by mankind. Unfortunately, the general public is greatly influenced "by the powerful lobbying of the oil and coal industry" (MiláÅ™ & Sládek, 2011, p.152). It also does not help that climate change has become highly politicized and can influence which stance people take on the issue. Thankfully though 75% of Americans support introducing climate change into the classroom. Now it seems that there needs to be more of a focus on educating the adult population. They can learn from their children coming home from these lessons or through movements such as this one that seek to eliminate misconceptions and provide an action plan.
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Bedford, D. (2016). Does climate literacy matter? A case study of U.S. students’ level of concern about anthropogenic global warming. Journal of Geography 115(5) 187-197.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., & Gustafson, A. (2019). Climate Change in the American Mind: November 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate
Change Communication.
MiláÅ™, T., & Sládek, P. (2011). The climate literacy challenge. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 12. 150–156.
Meet the Team
Daryan Herrick is from Lawrence, KS, USA. She received her Bachelor's of Science in Atmospheric Science in 2018 from the University of Kansas and is currently seeking her Master's of Education in Adult Learning and Organizational Leadership from Park University. Although her formal education focused mostly on weather, she has always had a passion for helping the environment and educating others on what to do.
Christine Reymer is from London, Ontario, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and is currently earning her Master’s of Education in Adult Learning and Organizational Leadership from Park University. Christine feels that the awareness of climate change needs to increase among the general public and is excited to be a part of the Do What You Can Movement in helping achieve this goal.
Ashley Palese is from Maryland. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a K-5 Multiple Subject Elementary Teaching Credential from California State University San Marcos and is currently earning her Master’s of Education in Adult Learning and Organizational Leadership from Park University. Ashley feels that there is a lack of understanding when it comes to individual impact on the environment. She hopes that the Do What You Can Movement will raise awareness and lead people to make more environmentally friendly choices.
Lorraine Sutton is from San Marcos, TX. She received her Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology from Park University and is currently earning her Master’s of Education in Adult Learning and Organizational Leadership from Park University. Lorraine believes there is a need to educate individuals on what climate change is and how each person can make a difference. She is excited to be a part of the Do What You Can Movement.
Justine McKinley is from California where she serves in the U.S. Navy. She received a B.A. in International Affairs/Languages, Literature, and Cultures from Northeastern University and is currently earning her Master’s of Education in Adult Learning and Organizational Leadership from Park University. She believes that a little personal change can go a long way in helping the environment and is looking forward to seeing how the Do What You Can Movement can do to help the cause.