COMMUNITY RESILIENCY WEB

 

The Community Resilience Web is a participatory storytelling and mapping project that empowers students and communities to connect with local climate resilience efforts. Developed by the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure, this project invites participants to research, profile, and share the work of grassroots organizations that are building environmental, economic, and social resilience.

The project emerged as an educational outgrowth of Sensorium for the World Ocean, our immersive art/science initiative exploring ocean well-being. Sensorium invites people to ask, “If the ocean could speak, what would it say?” and blends data, story, and sensory engagement to create deep emotional connection.

Piloted at High Tech High Mesa in San Diego, and now expanding through partnerships with school districts, university programs, and local organizations, the project offers a flexible, field-tested framework. Students not only learn about local climate and justice work—they become part of it. Their multimedia profiles also feed into a companion AI chatbot, allowing others to discover and connect with the same organizations.

Our first classroom pilot took place at High Tech High Mesa in Spring 2024. Students profiled a wide range of local groups working on food justice, watershed restoration, mutual aid, and more.

View their live site: HTH Mesa Resilience Web Showcase

For more information please review our Community Resilience School Guide

What Students and Teachers Are Saying

“This made climate change feel real—but also showed me that people are already doing something about it. And that I can, too.” — Student participant

“The project allowed my students to see their community through new eyes. They were motivated not just by grades, but by care.” — Oscar Carrión, HTH Mesa teacher

“This is the kind of learning that sticks. Relational, creative, and connected to the world beyond the classroom.” — Emily Usaha, HTH Mesa teacher

Groundwork San Diego: Engaging youth in environmental restoration and community science in the Chollas Creek watershed

Groundwork San Diego: Engaging youth in environmental restoration and community science in the Chollas Creek watershed