As the University of Michigan continues its tradition of celebrating Earth Day, the first of which was held more than 30 years ago, planning is underway for an expanded Climate Week gathering in the fall.

Aggregating the momentum across the Ann Arbor campus as well as Flint and Dearborn, the week will combine the strength of deep research with the energy of students to feed the pipeline of solutions for climate challenges.

U-M Climate Week 2025 will bring together U-M students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members for a weeklong series of events and activities aimed at increasing climate engagement and fostering ideas and solutions that will create a healthier, more equitable planet. 

It will take place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5 on the Ann Arbor campus.

U-M schools, colleges, centers and institutes, and student organizations will engage with local community groups and climate experts, resulting in a collaborative event that reflects U-M’s partnerships and collective support of climate action, according to organizers.

“Hosting UMCW25 at this critical moment demonstrates our commitment to bringing tangible solutions to life,” said Liesl Clark, director of climate action engagement, who is co-organizing the event with the Office of the Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action and the School for Environment and Sustainability. 

“Capitalizing on the mix of knowledge and enthusiasm, we can elevate just climate solutions and create momentum and hope for the future. The world’s environmental challenges aren’t hitting pause, and neither are we.”

Efforts to develop cross-campus programming are currently underway. Early programming highlights include:

• Sept. 28: Harvest Fest, a celebration of U-M’s student-driven food initiatives, emphasizing sustainability, social justice and creativity.
• Sept. 30: SEAS’ 23rd Annual Wege Lecture on Sustainability featuring Jennifer Granholm, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Ticketing information and details will be announced soon.
• Oct. 2: EarthFest, which celebrates sustainability initiatives across U-M and surrounding communities while providing an inclusive platform to educate and engage the campus community on opportunities to support sustainability and environmental justice at U-M and in our daily lives. 

A full slate of events will be announced soon.

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