Planetary Health

The health of people and the health of the planet are inseparable. From air quality and food security to biodiversity loss and climate disruption, environmental change is reshaping human lives in profound and often deeply unequal ways. The choices we make today—individually and collectively—will determine the world inherited by future generations. This thread challenges students to grapple with the complex, interconnected systems that sustain life on Earth, and to think creatively about how we can protect and restore them. Drawing on perspectives from ecology, public health, Indigenous knowledge, economics, and design, students explore what it means to live and act within planetary boundaries. Rather than focusing on crisis alone, this thread is solutions-oriented. Students develop the knowledge, skills, and disposition to contribute meaningfully to a sustainable future—whether through policy, technology, community action, or systems-level change. This thread asks students to see themselves not as bystanders to environmental challenge, but as active participants in shaping healthier outcomes for people, planet, and the generations that follow.