Laura Schifter

Laura Schifter is a Senior Fellow at This is Planet Ed, an initiative of the Aspen Institute focused on leveraging education as a force for climate action and solutions.1 She launched the K12 Climate Action project, which later evolved into This is Planet Ed.1 Schifter's work centers on the intersection of education and climate change, aiming to mobilize collaborative action across early childhood, K-12, higher education, and children's media to address climate challenges.1

Previously, Schifter was a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and served as an advisor on education policy, specializing in education and disability.1 Her shift to climate-related work was prompted by the 2018 IPCC special report on global warming, which made her realize the urgency of addressing climate change.1

At This is Planet Ed, Schifter and her team work to convene climate education leaders, equip educators with research and toolkits, and empower the rising generation to understand and tackle climate challenges.1 She emphasizes the significant climate impact of the education sector, noting that K-12 schools are among the largest consumers of energy in the public sector.1