UH students voice ‘fragile hope’ for Earth’s future

UH News, May 7, 2019

The vast majority of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students, 95 percent, are concerned or very concerned about climate change. That’s according to 1,600 UH Mānoa students who participated in an online survey by the UH Mānoa Institutional Research Office.

A student focus group study conducted across UH campuses over the past 18 months revealed that students report feeling anger, sadness, fear and shame but also hope about climate change and sustainability.

“These studies reveal that a fragile hope exists in our classrooms,” said Matthew K. Lynch, director of UH Sustainability Initiatives. “When we teach to the issues of our times, we can begin to shift this dissonance toward resonance, and help empower our students to navigate the uncertain futures ahead.”

The survey results were part of a presentation to the UH Board of Regents Planning and Facilities Committee on May 1 that highlighted insights gained from focus discussions with students. Other topics covered included student-led zero-waste initiatives, student perspectives on the new sustainability minor at Kapiʻolani Community College and faculty efforts to integrate sustainability across curriculum.

Read the full transcript, follow @sustainableUH.

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