Global Themes

The Year of Climate 2.0: 2025-2026

For more than a decade, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) has brought Pace Academy’s mission to life, preparing confident, compassionate citizens of the world. Each year, students across all divisions dive into a global theme such as Water, Climate, Conservation, Energy and, most recently, Food. Guided by expert faculty, these explorations foster leadership skills, cultural awareness and global perspectives.

The 2025–2026 school year marks the Pace community’s return to the study of Climate, its 2016–2017 theme, this time with a focus on imagining and shaping our climate future. “This year, our students will consider their roles as future leaders in shaping a more sustainable world,” says ICGL Director Trish Anderson. “We want them to think critically, creatively and courageously about the future they hope to build and the steps it will take to get there, however big or small.”

To prepare for the year and weave climate studies into the curriculum, ICGL faculty cohorts from the Lower and Middle Schools—18 teachers in all—traveled to Denmark, Portugal and the Azores in early 2025. These destinations offered rich, real-world lessons: Denmark for its leadership in renewable energy, climate innovation and sustainable urban design; and Portugal and the Azores for their diverse microclimates, rich marine ecosystems, and unique position at the crossroads of major atmospheric and oceanic systems. Together, these experiences provided Pace educators an unparalleled classroom for studying the planet’s climate future and inspired new, developmentally appropriate ways to bring that learning into Pace classrooms.

In addition to expert faculty leadership, students in every division will approach their climate studies through a set of essential questions. In the Lower School, they will ask: “How do humans change the climate?,” “How does climate change impact the Earth and its inhabitants?” and “How does climate change impact people differently?” In the Middle School, the focus shifts to: “How have humans influenced the climate?,” “How is climate change affecting me and other kids around the world, and why does it matter?” and “How can I contribute to a culture where individuals, communities and governments work to address climate change?” And in the Upper School, one powerful question frames the year: “What kind of climate future do we want to create—and how do we get there?”

These essential questions will come to life through classroom curriculum, interactive exhibits, Minimester programming, study tours and interdisciplinary projects across all three divisions. Throughout the year, the Upper School ICGL Council and ICGL Fellows will guide the work—leading conversations, designing initiatives and sharing their research with the Pace community. Guest speakers and immersive, hands-on experiences will further enrich this exploration, helping students grasp the many ways climate shapes our world.

“Our hope is that, by the end of the year, every member of the Pace community will have a deeper understanding of the urgency and complexity of climate—and a sense of agency in building a better future,” Anderson says.

The IGLs have committed to a yearlong study of climate that includes coursework, research and two travel opportunities. They began their exploration with summer reading: The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, and The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle.

This fall, the IGLs will join ICGL Director Trish Anderson and Associate Director Tatum Branaman on a study tour in North Carolina, where they will examine climate issues up close. Their itinerary includes visits with the Environmental Protection Agency; conversations with climate experts at the University of North Carolina; a stop at the UNC Coastal Resilience Center; hands-on wetland restoration work; and boating on the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound. Their year of exploration will conclude in the spring with a study tour to a destination yet to be determined.