SF State’s Earth Week festivities start April 22

It’s the second year the University’s Climate HQ centralizes campus-wide Earth Week activities

San Francisco State University is ramping up for its annual Earth Week 2024 festivities April 22 – 25. After its successful 2023 inaugural event, San Francisco State’s Climate HQ — a campus hub for climate-related activities — teamed up with partners across campus to organize some of the University’s Earth Week events onto one calendar. Climate HQ worked with groups from different colleges and departments and tailored events to students’ interests.

For the second annual Climate HQ Earth Week, the hub is continuing to work with students —several student interns are dedicated to Earth Week — and organizations like Associated Students’ Environmental Resource Center (ERC). Climate HQ is once again inviting students, faculty and staff from across campus to share art, make presentations and perform music during the week. New events this year include a climate justice jobs mixer with external organizations and an alumni panel, a panel on Indigenous land stewards and land rights hosted by the Race and Resistance Studies Department and an art and activism celebration. Earth Week will close on April 25 with the second annual Climate HQ Earth Week Film Festival, showcasing select work from the SF State community and external supporters.

“Everyone should participate in Earth Week because there is something for everyone,” said Alcides Fuentes, Climate HQ’s program and communication specialist. “We want people to feel empowered, to get creative and to realize that we all have a role to play in shaping a better world for current and future generations. Even though the world might seem like a hopeless and depressing place, there is still joy and hope. We can still take action no matter how bad the situation may seem.”

Various SF State organizations celebrated Earth Week in the past, but 2023 marked the first time Earth Week activities were formally supported by Climate HQ via the new Climate Justice Leaders Initiative (CJLI). CJLI aims to equip the University’s diverse student body to become equity-minded leaders through courses, community activities and campus events like Earth Week.

“Our goal in Climate HQ and CJLI is to connect and support the climate justice-related research, education and activism being done by students, faculty and staff, and build connections with alumni, community members and organizations,” said SF State Lecturer Erica Pulley, Climate HQ’s annual events chair. “Earth Week is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate these efforts and build hope, resilience and action.”

Among the Climate HQ events planned for Earth Week 2024:

Monday, April 22

Guided Planetarium Shows: Earth, Climate Change and The Cosmos
11 a.m. and noon, Thornton Hall 422
There will be two shows. Seating is limited and doors close promptly at start times.

Earth Week Tabling, Presentations and Performances
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza

Earth Week Launch Party
5 – 8 p.m., The Depot, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Tuesday, April 23

Climate Justice Jobs Mixer
11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Alumni Panel: Life After Graduation in Environmental and Climate Engaged Careers
Noon – 1:30 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Wednesday, April 24

ERC’s Student Flea Market
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Panel: Asserting Indigenous Sovereignty: Defending Indigenous Land Rights
3:30 – 5:30 p.m., Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building

Thursday, April 25

Honoring the Relationship between Activism and The Arts
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza
The Poster Syndicate will be on site screen-printing original artwork designed just for this event; free screen-printed posters will be available.

Climate HQ’s Second Annual Earth Week Film Fest
4 – 7 p.m., Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building
Enjoy select student works, the award-winning documentary “Water Warriors” by filmmaker and activist Michael Premo and a preview of the upcoming series “Climate California” by NorCal Public Media. Local filmmaker and founder of Docuvist will moderate a guest panel and Q&A. Locally and sustainably sourced food by Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas will be available.