CU Boulder is attempting to change the conversation around climate change by inviting young students to showcase their talents on a larger scale. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado has invited 80 students, ranging in age from middle to high school, to participate in a new program called The Lens on Climate Change (LOCC). The LOCC program consists of multiple, week-long camps throughout the summer season. Working side-by-side in hands-on situations with CU Boulder science mentors, the young students will be given the opportunity to investigate the effects of climate change happening in Colorado, such as by analyzing patterns in agriculture or observing the melting of glaciers. The students will then work on editing and creating a short film with the help of mentors from the Colorado Film School. At the end of each week-long session, the camp will hold a public screening of the final films, which will be open to everyone in the Boulder community.

The program is an immersive, unique experience that hopes to draw in first-generation, college-bound students and spark their interest in environmental studies. The camp hopes to inspire young people to fight for our planet’s wellbeing, and to give a voice to a younger generation that has yet to be heard. 

As CU Boulder students, we can support these students by showing up to the public screenings. The film screenings will be held Friday, June 23, and Saturday, July 22, at the CIRES Auditorium and the ATLAS center, respectively.

Photo Source: CU Boulder Today

Hanae Reith Manager of Public Relations

Hanae is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder studying strategic communications and business administration. She is passionate about creativity in conjunction with business, which is what led her to her field of study. She grew up in Seattle, Washington, where she gained a love for the West Coast and the water. In 2014, she traded in the ocean for the mountains when she moved out to Boulder to pursue her degree. Hanae’s biggest passion is travel, and she recently studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where she spent fifteen weeks traveling to dozens of cities across Western Europe, immersing herself in exciting new cultures and atmospheres. You can find Hanae riding around town on her yellow vespa, sitting at rooftop bars with friends, or cheering on the Buffs at Folsom.