Earth Month at MIT

Saturday, April 1, all day, at the MIT Sloan School of Management

Host: MIT Climate Action Through Education (CATE)

An MIT CATE collaboration with the Mass Teachers Assoc. Climate Action Network (MTA CAN) and Earth Day Boston, this event welcomes high school students, K-12 teachers, and select MIT students to engage with local and MIT-based climate education groups and resources. The day will offer an exclusive look at CATE’s MIT-influenced high school climate curriculum with materials for English, History, Math, and Science classrooms – launching Fall 2023 – as well as challenging attendees to consider the role of education in the climate crisis.

Thursday, April 6 to Friday, April 7, all day, at the MIT Samberg Conference Center

Host: MIT Climate Education Working Group

A series of expert sessions on teaching climate change in higher education.

Friday, April 7, 9-10:15 am at the Hacker Reactor, MIT Innovation HQ

Host: MIT DesignX, MIT CCC Initiative, and the MIT Office of Sustainability

PowerCorpBOS was launched in summer 2022 and is a green jobs program providing young adults with training, career readiness support, and connections to employers in the green industry. Through a DUSP practicum, MIT students are partnering with PowerCorpsBOS this spring to develop a blueprint for scale. The class is part of a multi-year research project around “Building a successful Civilian Climate Corps” involving SA+P, the Urban Risk Lab and DesignX.  This event brings the PowerCorps team to MIT to learn about the campus and institution through the lens of sustainability. It will begin with a morning program open to MIT community members who would like to learn more about PowerCorps Boston.

Friday, April 7, 5-7 pm in Room 32-144

Host: MIT Office of Sustainability and Waste Watchers

Waste Watchers is a student group on campus promoting better recycling practices and spreading knowledge of proper waste disposal at events and within our dorms! At the event, we will be recycling clean water bottles and cans that we have collected or event-goers have brought and transforming them into cute, sustainable planters that participants can hang around their dorms. Decorating supplies, seeds, and catering will be provided.

Tuesday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 12, all day, at Westin Copley Place

Host: MIT Energy and Climate Club

The MIT Energy Conference is the largest student-led energy & climate conference in the world.  This year’s conference theme is Transition under Crisis: Technology, Investment and Geopolitics. The conference will address the pressing global energy crisis and discuss solutions in technology, finance, and global policy that will enable a cleaner future.

Wednesday, April 12, 5:30-7 pm in the Cheney Room 3-308

Host: MIT Office of Minority Education

A study done by the International Energy Agency shows that women make up 16% of the traditional energy sector. To address these gender gaps in racial and ethnic minority communities, The CRWN will host a panel focused on Women of Color(WOC) in the energy industry. The purpose of the WOC Energy panel is to encourage undergraduate WOC to pursue careers in the energy sector. The panel will consist of four women of color at the top of their fields sharing their journey and experiences. We invite you to join us in sharing energy, space, and stories together.

Thursday, April 13, 9:00 am-7:00 pm at The Engine

Host: MIT Climate and Energy Prize

Watch eight student-founded climate and energy start ups from across the US and Europe compete for a 100K grand prize in the world's largest student-led competition for climate startups.

Thursday, April 13, 1-2 pm online

Host: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

In this webinar, specialists in K-12 climate education will discuss the benefits of climate education in a variety of courses at the high school level and earlier, and the challenges teachers face in finding or creating appropriate climate coursework and bringing it to their classrooms. They will introduce resources for teaching climate, best practices from schools and educational institutions around the U.S., and new ideas to support teachers at every level, and take audience questions.

Friday, April 14, 12:00-3:00 pm in Room 32-141

Host: MIT Energy & Climate Club

Please join MITEC in a special ocean sustainability themed speaker event for Earth Month! We will feature perspectives on industries dependent on the ocean and how they are incorporating sustainability and new innovations into their operations. Lunch will be served.

Wednesday, April 19, 11:00 am-12:30 pm at the MIT Museum

Host: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

Between November 2021 and August 2022, the United States passed a series of bills featuring the largest investments in climate change solutions in history. But the size of these investments is not the whole story. They also commit the U.S. to a new approach to climate: creating large consumer markets, demonstrating new technologies quickly, and manufacturing at a massive scale at home. Join MIT's award-winning TILclimate podcast for our first live event, as host Laur Hesse Fisher sits down with Dr. Elisabeth Reynolds—Lecturer in the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning and former Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development in the White House—to understand the new course of American climate action, why it came about, and what it means for the U.S. and the world moving forward. A light lunch will be served after the show.

Wednesday, April 19, 12-1 pm online

From slow fibers to smart fabrics, MIT alums are leading the trends in textile manufacturing with a focus on helping the industry lean into a more sustainable future. Come to this panel to hear how past alums have crafted careers to solve global problems of sustainable fabric production, advance computational fabrication, while also considering the full life cycle of textiles.

Wednesday, April 19, 4:00-7:15 pm at the Tang Center

Host: MIT Energy Initiative, with the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Laboratory and the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) will present an Earth Day Colloquium on Wednesday, April 19 by Massachusetts state Senator Mike Barrett, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, on decarbonizing Massachusetts. Senator Barrett will discuss the ambitious 2030 Massachusetts goals for cutting carbon dioxide emissions and the challenges the state faces in meeting those goals. He will have a particular focus on the obstacles Massachusetts faces in offshore wind deployment. How does the state evaluate the progress thus far and adjust the plan to tackle any bumps in the road? A fireside chat and audience Q&A will follow the presentation, moderated by MITEI executive director Martha Broad. The event will also include light refreshments and a poster session featuring MIT research for a changing planet, where MIT students will share their research on water, food, energy, and the environment. The poster session is co-hosted by MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water & Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), and MITEI.

Wednesday, April 19, 7-10 pm at the Kresge Platform

Host: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and MIT Climate Machine

Join us on the evening of April 19th for the Climate Canvas installation with live projection mapping on the new music building and a live music performance from Electronic Duo Warung. Attendees will take the MIT Climate Machine's established 'Climate Identity' quiz, with the results projected in real time onto the Student Center's facades. This event is a collaboration between MIT Climate Machine and UK Record Label, Anjunabeats/Anjunadeep.

Friday, April 21, 5-7 pm in the Bush Room 10-105

Curious about the connections between global environmental changes, climate justice, and human health but not sure how to get involved? Join student organizations from across MIT for a discussion and community building event and to learn about the Planetary Health Alliance.

Sunday, April 23, all day in Building 9

Host: MIT Energy Initiative

Join the MIT Energy Initiative to learn how you can help the energy transition, no matter what field you go into, and about the wide array of career options open to you. Students will have the opportunity to connect with alums and other professionals who work on energy and tackling the climate crisis, build mentoring relationships, and expand networking skills.

Monday, April 24, 8:00 am-1:00 pm at the Stata Center

Host: Working Green Committee and Department of Facilities

An opportunity for the MIT community to reduce our impact on the planet by sharing good stuff instead of buying new. Bring items you don't need and pick up items you do!

Monday, April 24, 4:30-6:30 pm at the Hayden Library Nexus

Host: MIT Office of Sustainability and MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

At MIT, we are working toward solving the world’s most urgent problems, including climate change. As we embark on this important work, many of us feel anxiety, grief and distress about issues related to climate change, especially as they impact people in disproportionate ways locally and across the globe. In addition to feeling difficult emotions, there are also opportunities to feel joy and optimism, as well as to take steps toward finding community and participating in climate action. This Earth Day, join us in conversation (and practice) as we explore the ways in which climate change intersects with complex issues related to wellbeing, justice, and the actions needed to build a more sustainable and just world.

Tuesday, April 25, 11:30 am-1:30 pm at the Hayden Library Nexus

Host: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and MIT Anthropology

The Environmental Solutions Initiative and MIT Anthropology welcome the MIT community and the broader public to explore just energy transitions in coal dependent communities during a lunchtime presentation and conversation, featuring ESI presenters, moderator Prof. Amy Moran-Thomas, and invited guests from Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, April 26, 3:00 pm at the MIT Museum

Host: Morningside Academy for Design

How can design address different dimensions of sustainability? We will explore this question through three dialogues, ranging from the design of solar-powered vehicles, to the definition of analytical and sensing mechanisms to improve buildings’ thermal performance, to the elaboration of energy-efficient systems to cook. The event will show how sustainable design solutions are possible for every scale and context, and how these solutions can transition from academic experimentation and research to real-world implementation.

April 27-28, 10 am-2 pm online

Host: AYA Research Institute, Inc.

The Future of Technology in the Just Transition Symposium is intended to bring together communities, scientists, engineers, and leaders that work on environmental, climate, and energy justice projects from across the world. We are looking for participants to share their current work with a focus on how technological advancements have moved us towards a just transition. We encourage speakers from disadvantaged backgrounds and whose projects find solutions for frontline communities to join us.

Thursday, April 27, 4:30-8:00 pm at the MIT Media Lab

Host: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative welcomes the MIT community and the broader public to join us in celebrating the public launch of the ESI Climate Justice Program. The event will feature a keynote roundtable with invited guest speakers on "Building an Infrastructure of Climate Justice in NYC," showcase presentations on ongoing climate justice initiatives at MIT, and a reception with food, drinks, music, and conversation.

Friday, April 28, all day, at the MIT Samberg Conference Center

This year's MIT Sustainability Summit has the theme "De-mystifying Carbon Markets." The event will provide a unique opportunity to hear from experts in the field and discuss the challenges and debates across demand, supply and enablers of carbon markets. The day will culminate with a solution showcase pitch. This will also be our first ever carbon neutral summit.