By Osita Mbonu
The Climate Initiative (TCI) has launched a new Plastics Learning Lab and announced a series of public events and in‑person gatherings in July centred on microplastics education and community action.
The digital learning unit, co‑created with Dr. Jenni Brandon, a biological oceanographer who has researched microplastics since 2012, guides students and educators through the science, data and social dimensions of plastic pollution. The six adaptable lessons place particular emphasis on equity, community connection and hands‑on action, and finish with a community project designed to turn classroom learning into local change.
“Microplastics are no longer just an ocean problem,” said Dr. Brandon, who helped build the curriculum. “They’ve been detected in food, drinking water and in parts of the human body. That makes this a human health, as well as an ecological, issue.”
TCI says the Learning Lab is intended to equip young people and their teachers with the knowledge and tools needed to address that complexity.
On July 14, Dr. Brandon will join TCI for a live Fireside Chat to discuss the science, policy implications and practical steps educators can take now. The free online event is open to the organisation’s community and timed to coincide with Plastic Free July, the global month‑long campaign that asks participants to pay closer attention to plastic use.
TCI also announced that Plaine Products, a refillable personal‑care brand and certified B Corp, is the sponsor for its Changemakers Evening for Action on July 28 in Saco, Maine. Plaine Products says its refill system has kept more than 800,000 plastic bottles out of landfills and oceans. The company’s sponsorship will support recognition of educators who translate climate learning into community impact.
Later in July, TCI will host its 6th Annual Climate Educators Retreat in Saco, bringing veteran and pre‑service teachers together for a week of learning, community building and hands‑on field experiences. The Changemakers Evening is open to the public and not limited to retreat attendees. TCI encourages local residents and allies to attend.
Retreat sponsorships remain available at multiple levels, from community resilience partnerships to field experience and climate action tiers.
Leia Lowery, TCI’s executive director, said July is a pivotal month for the organisation: “We’re bringing science into classrooms, connecting educators in person, and celebrating action that matters.”
