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Four students walking together on a sunny day in downtown Los Angeles with City Hall visible in the background.

Hotter Planet, Fairer Futures: Communities and Climate Action

Become a Summer Trojan and earn college credit.

Program Overview

In this interdisciplinary course, participants study climate change through environmental science, public policy and community impact. The class centers Los Angeles as a living case, helping participants connect global questions to local conditions.

Participants engage in applied activities including neighborhood observation walks, a media credibility challenge, short interviews or surveys, and a team-based community micro-project. Site-based learning with USC centers and local organizations helps high school students test ideas against real constraints.

By the end, participants will have crafted an evidence-based position on a sustainability challenge and communicate practical recommendations. The course supports high schoolers interested in environmental studies, public health, engineering, education, public policy and civic leadership.

A student presents a slide on environmental taxes to classmates in a classroom.

Key Information

Topics of Study

Climate science fundamentals and local impacts
Community based data collection methods
Media literacy and climate misinformation
Sustainability policy and implementation tradeoffs
Communication for public problem solving

Learning Highlights

Analyze climate challenges using scientific and social evidence
Map how environmental risks and resources vary across neighborhoods
Conduct short, field-based observations and community inquiry
Evaluate media claims and identify misinformation patterns
Design a team micro-project with feasible local actions
Present evidence-based recommendations for community audiences

Requirements

Participants must bring their own laptops
Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes for neighborhood observations
Participants should be prepared for collaborative group work and brief field activities

Week	Focus	Key Topics	Assignments and Activities
1	Climate Foundations, Equity Framing and Topic Scoping	Climate science; local climate impacts in Los Angeles; unequal risk distribution; sustainability challenges	Interactive lecture on climate science basics. Map climate risks across Los Angeles neighborhoods. Small-group discussion to identify local sustainability topics for investigation.
2	Field Observation Methods and Media Credibility Analysis	Community-based data collection; observation and field notes; media literacy; climate misinformation; evaluating climate claims	Neighborhood observation walk. Field note documentation exercise. Media credibility challenge analyzing climate news and social media posts.
3	Community Inquiry, Policy Options and Project Prototyping	Community interviews and surveys; sustainability policy tradeoffs; policy implementation challenges; designing feasible interventions	Short community interviews or survey activity. Policy scenario workshop evaluating tradeoffs. Team micro-project planning and prototype design.
4	Final Recommendations, Presentations and Reflection	Communication for public problem solving; evidence-based policy recommendations; community impact evaluation; reflection on climate leadership	Team micro-project presentations. Evidence-based sustainability recommendations. Peer feedback and discussion. Course reflection on local climate action and civic engagement.

USC Summer Programs offers quality education and perspective, while offering a balance of fun for students to have every day after classes end! It also helped me develop skills needed for college and beyond, like time management for homework and having fun with friends.

— Genevieve S., California, USC Summer Program 2022