“What kinds of climate action do the next generation envision?”

This is the question that led the CLIMATE FUTURES project. A group of roughly 30 youth from Bronzeville and Rockford were invited to take part in a future-visioning program, inspired by techniques used by professional futurists. Through the project, they dreamed up social and technological inventions that respond to climate change in ingenious and resourceful ways.

Each student group was first introduced to fundamentals of climate science, and then heard from experts in climate justice and energy technology. Following that, students looked for signals of change, mapped out consequences of those signals, and depicted their imagined futures as quotidian streetscapes in their neighborhoods.

The Extrapolation Factory translated the student visions into the life-size objects. The project aims to increase awareness about the consequences of climate change, empower youth to express their hopes and dreams for the future of their community, and engage the community in a new conversation about climate change and energy transitions.