As extreme weather and human-made disasters continue to unfold, what if we choose to lead with curiosity and creativity, even as we grapple with our frustration and fear?

If we try to accept— better yet, embrace—unknowability of the future, we can be more prepared to participate in what’s transpiring and give some direction to it. More prepared to create with others what will emerge from the process. More prepared to improvise. More prepared to grow..

In this workshop, we will break down outdated thinking, explore conversations that generate hope (not helplessness), and rethink what resilience looks like in a future that is wildly unpredictable.

Leader Biographies

Gwen Lowenheim, M.S. Ed. is a learning design specialist, teacher trainer, organizational developer and a grassroots organizer. She founded Pace University's Global Conversation Group Programs, continues to serve as its advisor and teaches in the English Department. Gwen is on the faculty of the East Side Institute and co-founded its "Yes, And…” Higher Education Network. She trains and supervises educators and social entrepreneurs around the world in a social therapeutic, performance-based learning approach that brings creativity, philosophizing and innovation into classrooms, organizations and community-based programs. Her programs introduce theatrical improvisation, philosophical exploration, remix and group play in developing collaborative teams, leadership development, emotional development and language learning.

Jim Martinez, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the New York Institute of Technology and Co-Founder of Collective Infrastructures Corp., a public benefit corporation. His work explores how communities can use open technologies, collaborative research, and interdisciplinary approaches to address complex social and environmental challenges. His current research focuses on community-based environmental sensing and local infrastructure that supports climate resilience. He is interested in creating spaces where people from different backgrounds can develop new ways of thinking and acting together in response to climate change.

Contact the host of PTW Community Presents: Create Community with Our Concerns About Our Planet