Sean McFarland

sean@teachearthaction.org

Sean McFarland is a co-lead at Teach Earth Action. In addition to his work for TEA, Sean has taught English at the community college level for over three decades. For the last 15 years, he has made the Climate Crisis the central content of virtually all of his teaching.  

At Chabot College, Sean has founded or co-founded numerous initiatives such as the Passion and Purpose program, the Student Initiative Center, FRESH Food Pantry, the Knowledge Garden, the Outdoor Schoolhouse, and the Sustainability Center project. What these initiatives have in common is putting students at the center of the experience by uncovering Student Voice and by Making Visible their perspectives through the use of video and other media. These initiatives and programs integrate Action Learning and a focus on Sustainability in their implementation.  

In addition to his work at Chabot College, Sean has directed or co-directed many cutting edge and ambitious grant initiatives that bring together colleges, their local communities, and civic partners in the service of achieving a wide range of social justice aims. Faculty Inquiry Network--a 4-year 2.4 million dollar grant funded by the Hewlett Foundation--trained and supported teams from 20 California community colleges to implement teaching modalities and multi-modal learning in the service of improving the wider community. Acceleration in Context--funded by Walter S. Johnson Foundation--offered professional development opportunities to faculty and staff at over 50 California community colleges. Tennyson Thrives--funded by The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University--is a highly successful initiative that demonstrates how a college, community members, local organizations, and a city can work together around many different social justice and environmental equity issues.