Institute for Social Justice
Resilience in a changing climate
This Living Lab 2024-27 explores 'Climate Resilience' through live briefs’
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Climate resilience asks how we can prepare for, respond to, and recover from climatic events.
Climate resilience relies upon many factors and actors including education, activism, ecologists and policymakers. Voices from across our communities and sectors have a role to play.
It's painful to accept that we are living in a changed climate. We’re no longer in the ‘safe zone’.
Yet in accepting this, there is a call to action for everyone. This may be a spark for building fairer and more flourishing societies. Can we design ways of coping with the impacts of climate change, that also address other injustices? These are challenges that, in one way or another, will be part of most people’s careers and lives.
How we are approaching climate resilience
This Living Lab is exploring ‘Climate Resilience’ through live briefs.
Live briefs are developed by the Living Lab in collaboration with its partners to address real-world challenges. In doing so, live briefs are an invitation to students to act and to connect their interests or studies within a climate action community.
Download your student handbook to shape climate resilience through the YSJ Living Lab. Including 'Live Briefs' and resources.
Watch a short film sharing highlights of the first year of the University's current Living Lab: Resilience in a Changing Climate and what we have planned next.
Resilience in a Changing Climate Short Film
Friendly Living Fund
The Friendly Living Fund helps students develop practical, impactful projects that address the cost-of-living crisis while building climate resilience within our university and local community. Whether you have an idea for reducing waste, saving energy, sharing resources, or growing food, this is your chance to bring it to life. Find out more and apply below.
How modules are getting involved
- Interior Design students are using their skills to support the realisation of a shared, flexible Student Activist Space on campus. Watch this space!
- Marketing students are bringing the Friendly Living Fund and Wild Wednesday Gardening group to a wider YSJ audience.
- Fine Art students will take on the creation of a meaningful Living Lab Community Quilt.
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You can see photos and find out more from students on the ISJ blog site.
Key ongoing projects
The Living Lab Hub
Based in Holgate Future You space.
The Living Lab Hub is our home on-campus. It is a place where we can explore ecological justice together. Students and staff host events, meetings and share posters and materials for everyone to see.
Look out for our handmade Living Lab banner. (Note: The hub is shared space. Previously known as Launchpad.)
Watch this space! Interior design students are working with Living Laband Estates on designs that will enhance the Hub.
Working Group
Pop along to a fortnightly Living Lab Working Group. It is a friendly, informal space where anyone interested in climate justice has a seat at the table. It is a great way to get to know more about Living Lab, and to see where your interests or studies could connect with others.
Meetings are hybrid, you can join online or in person in our Living Lab Hub.
To be added to the Teams invite list, please email c.heinmeyer@yorksj.ac.uk
Get in touch
There are lots of ways to get involved. You can get involved through modules, as an informal group member, or to start your own project with our support. We welcome new ideas and individual interests. We also support sharing research or projects beyond the scope of papers. Creative, innovative ways of engaging audiences are very much encouraged.
Check out the Living Lab blog or Instagram for updates on our projects.
For further information or to come along to our friendly fortnightly Working Group, email c.heinemeyer@yorksj.ac.uk or v.pugh@yorksj.ac.uk.
Highlights of this Living Lab so far
- Student People's Assembly on Climate Resilience, 15 October 2024. A People's Assembly (PA) is a group gathered to discuss issues and collectively make decisions. With lightning talks from diverse voices, break-out groups and facilitated discussions, PAs end in a vote for next actions. At this Assembly we decided who will run the Friendly Living Fund, and how.
- Repair Fair, 22 November 2024. This vibrant event brought the energy and passion of York St John students, staff, and local groups from the community together for a wonderful, sustainability-focused upcycling event – our first Repair Fair. With a repair table, an upcycling table and a 'craftivist' table, the event also launched the Living Lab Community Quilt project.
- Midwinter Potluck, 28 January 2025. With inspiring keynote speaker Holly McGratten of Cooperation Hull, we celebrated work on climate resilience by students across different departments, launched the Friendly Living Fund, and held a mini-Repair Fair.
- Student conference presentations, March 2025. Living Lab students presented their work at the Student Sustainability Research Conference at the University of Leeds, and at Doing Change, York St John's own celebration of students' work towards social justice.
- Events for International Women's Day, March 2025. We explored issues of gender and climate justice in the Global South and worldwide, through events held in collaboration with the Amos Trust and with the international 'Patchwork for Peace' art project.
- Writing Resilience Anthology (PDF, 10.6 MB). Students from across the University have submitted their work for an upcoming exploration of climate resilience curated by Living Lab intern Ellie Steel. Read the ISJ blog post for insight into the making of the anthology.
- Community gardening has continued all throughout this year, with 'Wild Wednesdays' held every Wednesday 12.00pm to 2.00pm at the raised beds outside the Students' Union with the support of the Grounds team.
- Exciting developments have been explored: the possibility of a presence for the Living Lab on our London campus, and new spaces for student leadership on climate resilience on the York campus.
- Climate Resilience Jam: A Participatory Panel Experience 2 June 2026. This event brought together staff, students, community partners, and the public to discuss our work. Drawing on experience and hopes, attendees devised new ways to encourage climate resilience in the future.
- Out with the New in with the Old Zine: Out With The New Zine - ( PDF 5.9MB). MA Publishing student Lydia and Living Lab intern Lucianna gathered stories from across the University exploring sustainable fashion and textiles.
- Clothes Swaps and Upcycling. Encouraging students to adopt sustainable fashion habits, Living Lab Interns organised a series of clothes swaps and upcycling workshops in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ society, YSJ Calm and Connect Week and student activist group We Don’t Give a Stitch.
- Climate Resilience Quilt. Created by YSJ Fine Art students in response to a Living Lab Live Brief.
