Today we took the train to the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). We took a stroll through their campus before arriving at the Green Village. Just like the rest of the Netherlands, TU Delft was tree-lined and bike-lane-paved. Their architecture struck me as quite modern, and the campus was sprawling compared to Pitt. We met with a tour guide who showed us around the Green Village, which is a project space for researchers and startups to implement sustainable building ideas. We saw buildings that used natural heating, solar panels, and green roofs among other initiatives.

Following our tour of the Green Village, we grabbed lunch at one of the campus’ cafeterias and then sat on a sunny lawn like proper college students.  We reconvened later for the Climate Fresk Workshop. This workshop was led by master’s students at the university and is aimed to increase understanding of climate change. The premise is to establish cause and effect relationships between events relating to climate change (for example, the greenhouse gas effect leads to rising temperatures). We worked in small groups to establish these relationships, which were displayed on cards. After we made a big chain of all the causes and ramifications of global warming, we brainstormed solutions to address the problem.

Today I reflected on the best ways to educate people about climate change. TU Delft is considering making the Climate Fresk a required program for all students, no matter their field of study. While it certainly was an engaging and interactive practice, I’m not sure if this three-hour workshop is the most effective way to inform students. I do think the Climate Fresk workshop is a step in the right direction; it’s hands-on, collaborative, and visual and I think with some tweaks could be a powerful tool for conversations about climate change.

We ended our night with dinner and stroopwafels, a traditional Dutch treat. They were delightful.

Monday 5/19/2025