Creating Health and Climate Action - EHLP & TCC Collaborative Climate Café

“Attending this Climate Café made me realize the importance of community. Being in a space where I could openly discuss digital literacy and climate change made me feel less alone.” – Student Participant

On December 10, 2025, The Climate Collective (TCC) partnered with the Equity Health Literacy Project (EHLP) to host a collaborative Climate Café at the Carrville Community Centre, Vaughan. The evening brought together students, community members, and facilitators for a thoughtful dialogue on climate change, digital literacy, and collective well-being.

The Climate Collective is a York University student-led initiative dedicated to fostering sustainable climate action through community-centred engagement. Operating in partnership with the Wellness Impact Lab (WIL) at the DahdalehInstitute for Global Health Research (DI), TCC creates spaces where climate conversations are not only informative but also emotionally supportive and action-oriented.

The session was facilitated by Sadra Toossi, Chair of TCC, and Lisa Freire, Vice Chair, both undergraduate Global Health students and DI Global Health Interns at York University. They were joined by Iliya Rhiimi and Arya Soltani Muhammadi, co-founders of EHLP, whose work focuses on advancing equitable and accessible health literacy.

Across 14 participants, evaluation results reflected the strength of the collaboration:

• 100% of attendees reported feeling welcomed and respected in the space
• 93% reported increased understanding of how digital literacy intersects with climate and health
• 86% felt more confident engaging in climate-related discussions in their own communities.

Participants emphasized how the Climate Café format helped connect knowledge with lived experience. As one participant reflected:

“This Climate Café made me realize that health literacy and climate literacy are deeply interconnected. When people have equitable access to reliable information and a space to reflect together, climate action becomes more informed, grounded, and possible.” 

Throughout the evening, attendees explored climate emotions, discussed barriers to accessing reliable digital health information, and engaged in grounding practices centred on community care. The collaboration highlighted how climate action becomes stronger and more inclusive when literacy, equity, and emotional well-being are addressed together.

The Climate Collective extends sincere thanks to EHLP and all participants who contributed to such an impactful evening. TCC looks forward to continuing to build partnerships that foster inclusive, community-driven climate dialogue and action.

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