Dickinson Takes on Climate Week NYC
Dickinson students meet for a coffee chat with Blake Lawrence ’13, director of product management at Cool Effect, to discuss career pathways to success.
Students connect with global environmental leaders, explore career possibilities and find inspiration for climate action closer to home
by Tony Moore
You don't have to be a climate scientist to help save the planet. You might be a comedian. Or an entrepreneur. Or an aspiring rocket scientist.
That was among the lessons five Dickinson students brought home from Climate Week NYC 2026, where they joined thousands of environmental advocates, scientists, business leaders and policymakers working to address one of the world's most pressing challenges.
Held Sept. 20-27, Climate Week NYC is one of the world's largest gatherings devoted to climate action. With support from Dickinson's Center for Sustainability Education (CSE), the students spent three days meeting influential environmental leaders, exploring career possibilities and discovering that meaningful change can begin in some unexpected places.
Daniela Martinez '30 (undeclared) says the experience opened her eyes to possibilities she hadn't considered.
"As a freshman, this trip gave me an insight on what the climate field looks like today, both academically and professionally," she says. "It showed me how approachable networking can be just with having genuine curiosity and broadened my understanding of the many roles people can play in climate action."
Big Names, Bigger Ideas
The Dickinson contingent didn't lack opportunities to meet people making a difference.
Their itinerary included conversations with renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, Dickinson's 2024 recipient of the Sam Rose '58 & Julie Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism, and a live podcast recording featuring environmental leaders Bill McKibben, the 2012 Rose-Walters Prize recipient, and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, the 2026 recipient.
They also connected with Blake Lawrence '13, director of product management at Cool Effect, and attended workshops exploring climate mobility, innovation and ways to envision a more sustainable future.
And then there was the comedy.
The students kicked off their visit with a Climate Comedy Showcase featuring professional comedians and climate scientists performing stand-up routines about environmental issues. The audience wasn't told who was a scientist and who was a comedian.
Eliette Whittaker '27 (environmental science, political science) says that the unconventional event reinforced an important point: Climate activism doesn't come with a single job description. "While not everyone is a climate scientist, this reminds me that every skill and perspective has a place in the fight for our future.”
Whittaker also found encouragement in seeing so many people working toward a common goal.
"It is easy for me to feel burnt out when everyday environmental actions seem minuscule, knowing the climate is changing," she says. "But when all of the 'everyday environmental actions' came together in one city, I realized how momentous we all are!"
Beyond the Classroom
The trip was coordinated by Genesis Whitlock '25, a member of Dickinson's Rose-Walters Prize selection committee, and represented a new effort to extend the educational impact of the prestigious environmental award.
"CSE is working to make the Rose-Walters Prize more than an extraordinary few days on campus," says Lindsey Lyons, CSE director. "We want students to build relationships with environmental leaders, develop professional skills and see themselves as changemakers. Climate Week gave them an opportunity to do all three, and we're especially grateful to Julie Walters for helping make it possible."
The visit also helped launch Dickinson's developing Rose-Walters Environmental Futures Network, connecting students, alumni and environmental professionals.
For Claire Raesly '27 (environmental science, data analytics), those connections made a lasting impression.
"I gained confidence in talking to professionals and learned more about the different career paths and opportunities within the field," she says. "I think more students would benefit from being exposed to the people, organizations and ideas in the climate field."
Bringing Climate Week Home
The students returned to Carlisle with more than new connections and fresh perspectives. And Madison Turnbaugh '27 (geosciences, environmental science), Maggie Conklin '27 (environmental science) and Raesly came back with plans.
"One of the ideas that we talked about that I was interested in was the possibility of Dickinson Climate Week where we are able to bring other schools in the area to campus and hear from professors/experts in the area about what they're doing in terms of climate action," Conklin says.
Martinez has another ambitious idea: exploring environmentally sustainable rocket propulsion through a student-led project connecting her interests in astrobiology, biochemistry and sustainability.
"Reflecting on Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson's climate action framework helped me realize that climate solutions exist in every field, and that my interests in astrobiology and sustainability do not have to be separate pursuits," she says.
It's precisely the kind of thinking CSE hopes to encourage: students connecting what they're learning to the problems they want to solve.
And if the trip left students with one complaint, it might be the best kind.
"It felt like Climate Week was just beginning when we had to leave," Martinez says.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published October 12, 2026