COA pair selected for statewide environmental justice program
College of the Atlantic student Tyler Hebert ’27 and Energy Director David Gibson have been chosen to represent COA at EcologyShifts, an 18-month learning cohort focused on creating more environmentally just and progressive communities in Maine.
The EcologyShifts program is designed for people in environmental and related fields in Maine who have a desire for and a commitment to cooperation and change organizationally and at the systems-level. Hebert and Gibson will join pairs from 11 other Maine organizations in the effort.
“I’m ecstatic that David Gibson and I have been accepted to represent College of the Atlantic,” Hebert said. “Learning from other leaders in Maine’s broad environmental sectors is exciting.”
The 18-month program, led by Wabanaki scholars and activists, will focus on renewable energy transition, marine conservation, Indigenous rematriation, land trusts, and environmental leadership. The cohort is designed to equip participants with skills needed to return to their organizations and lead initiatives that simultaneously advance environmental and equity goals.
EcologyShifts will weave together guest speakers, conversation and dialogue, personal and organizational reflection, and time for play, quiet non-programmed time, creative expression, storytelling, and open space in order to experience and explore equity and related concepts. Through this cohort-based experience participants will challenge assumptions, explore questions, lean into discomfort, develop strategies for shifting power, and explore how to heal and change systems-level inequities with creativity, honesty, and justice.
The program, which kicks off July 9, is sponsored by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, a philanthropic organization seeking to create a healthier and more equitable Maine, where all people, animals, and the environment thrive. The cohort will be supported by a hosting and facilitation circle who will model collaborative and participatory approaches and will hold a high-level commitment to continual reflection and evaluation throughout the process. Penobscot lawyer, author, teacher and activist Sherri Mitchell will be joining the Host Circle and providing key facilitation to the cohort and experience.