1.	Critically assess mainstream news stories on environmentalism and ask questions on the untold story – what is the side that is not being told?
2.	Write and present their opinions and perspectives on current events, engage on current topics with ease and diplomacy, listen to differences of perspective and find common ground.
3.	Communicate and educate others at their level on environmental and social issues, solutions and begin to act as thought leaders amongst their peers.

A native of San Francisco, Stephanie is a former diplomat and ****university professor**** with a boutique tutoring company which revolves around inspiration. She has taught high school, college and grad school students international affairs, global studies, social justice, a conscious version of history for nine years. She is a dedicated academic/life and holistic health coach nurturing local youth to discover their potential. Her background is varied, committed to creating lasting change to life challenges at the grassroots and systematic level in topics such as education, poverty reduction, human rights, the environment. Wanting to make a direct change in the lives of individuals, she has taught writing, Spanish, social sciences up to the Master’s level for over nine years (ages 3 - 35 years old - yes, such a wide range of students successfully!) In addition to her work as a U.S. diplomat and activist across Europe, Africa and Latin America, she has created and innovated regional and international youth projects designed to help youth succeed in social engagement and activism, education and economic development (creating jobs). She has successfully learned five languages, is fluent in three and has lived in Latin America and Spain for four years. She specializes in mentoring youth to approach projects intuitively and methodologically to gain self-confidence in challenges. 

She has extensively mentored with the Elder Brothers of Colombia for 13 years, a never-colonized tribe that works to caretake nature 24 hours a day and models an original way of being for all. She has brought the Winnemem Wintu tribe to study with her mentors and has also learned from the tribes of her birthplace, San Francisco for the past ten years. These films are the messages they wish to be widely shared with learners. 

This entire class has been taught to entry-level college students and it was THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR ENTIRE COLLEGE CAREER.

This class is based on my work mentoring and teaching graduate students and in my private coaching practice, especially with the increased intensity over the past year. Everyone is in need of inspiration and a recharge. She is a 200-hour yoga and meditation certified instructor and has studied holistic healing and stress-reduction for eleven years. She is an avid practitioner and promoter of self-care, wellness and mindfulness and teaches teens and adults how to prioritize and advocate for their needs to be heard so they can fully show up and participate in a co-creative way. She has taught yoga and meditation in post-conflict zones as a way to help build self-care practices in those most affected. She also has coached colleagues and clients with anxiety and PTSD for over nine years. 

Reviews:
Super easy communicator
Stephanie is such a great soul and an amazing college counselor to have. She is super easy to communicate with and very patient. She genuinely wants to see me grow into my full potential and nothing is better than having someone believe in you. Thank you Stephanie!
- Sara K.

Breakthrough teacher!
Stephanie H. really understood the issues I was facing as a student struggling to interface with the subject. She helped me enjoy learning again and to up the bar on what I can achieve.
- Nathan C.

Amazing Coach!
I always feel good when I think about Stephanie. She is a living inspiration to me as a spiritual musician it is rare that I find someone so unique as her, when it comes to tuning to your heart. In interacting with her as a Life Coach, I was surprised at her own personal courage in facing quite difficult and stressful challenges and how she kept her composure through the process of rewinding the movie and seeing how she got there. I learned so much from her!
-Djana K.

Energetic and Insightful Tutor
Stephanie helped my high school aged son prepare an application for admittance into a selective school program. She spent time to truly understand what the program was about so she could best assist my son. Stephanie also has a knack for figuring out a student's interest and then help them structure their answers accordingly. My son was so intrigued after their first session, that for the next two hours he continued to discuss with me their conversation. I highly recommend Stephanie for tutoring young adults!
- Joseph S.

Homework Offered
Each class stands alone by itself and material is independent to each class, making this accessible for drop-ins if that is more your style. The following films will be watched as homework prior to sessions. If preferred for your group, we can watch excerpts of the film in class and discuss. Please let me know prior to class, which works best for your learner!

Homework to be discussed in week one:
• (Day One) Sawalmem, a story on Indigenous relationship with the earth (Winnemem Wintu tribal area otherwise known as Mount Shasta in California),  https://dceff.org/film/one-word-sawalmem/ (password - waterislife) Film to be watched before Day One. 

We will also look at the topic of original peoples and their lands this day. "Whose land are you on?" https://native-land.ca/ 

• (Day Two)  45 minute Podcast:  To be listened to before Day Two as homework:
The power of humility: https://forthewild.world/listen/tiokasin-ghosthorse-on-the-power-of-humility-237  


Homework to be discussed in week two:
• (Day One) Media: 40 minute film “Beyond Recognition” story for the Chochenyo Ohlone having land recognized to be watched prior to class. https://naturalheroes.org/videos/beyond-recognition/ 

• (Day Two) This Changes Everything, a two-hour film on climate change shot over 211 days in nine countries and four continents over four years
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07R5R67G6/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=mashable-editpost-20&ascsubtag=00UcL5lnyQ2vnvl50gPilZQ 

Homework to be discussed in week three:
We will continue looking at Indigenous perspectives and discuss this movie over two sessions. 

Aluna the movie - wisdom from the Kogi people of Colombia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftFbCwJfs1I

Homework to be discussed in both sessions of week four:

• Mossville, a story of struggle and confronting petrochemical companies environmental racism in cancer alley of Louisiana. 

Mossville: The story of fighting petrochemical plants in Cancer Alley, Louisiana http://www.mossvilleproject.com/
Film link: https://www.pbs.org/video/mossville-when-great-trees-fall-se2q8k/ 

Week 5 homework:

Mini-research project: Begin to think about the following, as you will be doing a mini-research project: What environmental issues are challenges in your community. Research online what problems are affecting your community and nearby Indigenous tribes. What organizations are working to help them? Come prepared to present briefly on this for class. 

For week five, we will be discussing how to research this.

Week 6 homework: 

Day one: Research - What environmental issues are challenges in your community?
Day two:  Research - What organizations are working on inspiring topics in your community?




1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Discussions of the readings and films form the backbone of the course.  Each class, students will be expected to present/speak on the films, relevant topics or something that interests them and pertain to the topic in some way. 

Informal assessment. 
Grades Offered

Aluna the movie - wisdom from the Kogi people of Colombia
Mossville, a story of struggle and confronting petrochemical companies environmental racism in cancer alley of Louisiana.
This Changes Everything, a film on climate change shot over 211 days in nine countries and four continents over four years
“Beyond Recognition” story for the Chochenyo Ohlone having land recognized. 
 Sawalmem, a story on Indigenous relationship with the earth