About this Event
In spring 2026, The Center for the Humanities at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter College made history, convening the first university climate assembly in the US. CCAP gathered a group of 43 Hunter College and 14 CUNY Graduate Center students for nine sessions over three months to assess and improve waste management strategies on campus. Through this process, they built community, gained democratic experience, and honed their collective vision toward the common good. Join us Tue, Sep 22nd at Hunter College during Climate Week NYC to celebrate the CUNY Climate Assembly Project on Waste at Hunter College (CCAP)!
A climate assembly brings together a randomly selected, demographically representative group of participants to study all sides of a pressing environmental problem, deliberate on possible solutions, and develop policy recommendations. The model broadens mass engagement, deepens public understanding of the assembly topic, and removes barriers to civic participation and decision-making. While assemblies generate creative solutions and community engagement from the ground up, their full impact ultimately depends on how institutions respond to the recommendations.
Come learn about CCAP and its impact directly from Student Assembly Delegates, Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center Leadership, and experts in diverse sectors reimagining democracy, sustainability, and the humanities as key tools for social flourishing in the age of climate change. Students will reflect on the democratic process, share assembly’s recommendations for sustainable waste strategies at Hunter, and chart the path ahead.
After the event, please join us for a reception in the Leubsdorf Gallery (West Building) to mingle and view the current exhibition
Free and open to the public, this event will take place in Hemmerdinger, East Building, Screening Room 706, Hunter College.
Speakers:
Nancy CantorPresident of Hunter College
Joshua C. BrumbergPresident of the CUNY Graduate Center
Gianpaolo BaiocchiDirector of Urban Democracy Lab, NYU
Kelli StephensSustainability and Energy Specialist at Hunter College, CCAP Administration Lead
Kendra SullivanNYC CJH Co-Director, CUNY
Annie StoethCCAP Curriculum Development Fellow
Aisha YildirimPost Assembly Fellow
Maria Sophia “Pia” ValenciaPost Assembly Fellow
Constance ZogzasPost Assembly Fellow
Danielle JordanPost Assembly Fellow
Hunter College Student Assembly Delegates and CUNY Graduate Small Group Facilitators (TBD).
Read more and how Hunter College students have spent months studying the way waste moves through campus and are now preparing to help turn their ideas into action: ““
“The assembly is a proof of concept: With enough time for deliberation, space for learning, and support for the implementation process, students can enjoy the social, environmental, and educational benefits of democratic engagement as part of their college experience.” –Kendra Sullivan, Director of the Center for the Humanities
for more informaiton about this event.
Event venue & nearby stays
Hunter East Building, 921 Lexington Avenue, New York, United States
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