Nicole “Niki” Ciulla
she/her • assistant professor of English, Winona State University • Winona, MN
2024 Climate Wayfinding facilitator
“[Faciliating Climate Wayfinding] was serious fun. The program added both inspiration and excitement to my fall semester.”
When Niki Ciulla returned to Winona State University after training as a Climate Wayfinding (CW) facilitator, she brought back more than new skills—she carried a vision. What if climate conversations could move beyond the usual circles? What if students who might never enroll in a sustainability course could discover their own nascent climate leadership?
To answer those questions, Niki launched Climate Wayfinding as an extracurricular program—open to all, regardless of major or background. “One of the benefits of running CW outside the classroom was that the students who came really wanted to be there,” she reflects. The program soon became a gathering place for an unlikely but powerful mix. Education majors sat alongside geoscience students. Pre-law students connected with writing majors. Even a high school student joined in.
At Winona State, most students work while pursuing their degrees. These are “the very people who most need to be part of these conversations—and, at the same time, it’s just not reasonable to expect them to attend something that’s basically another class,” Niki explains.
Her solution? A first-of-its-kind compensated Climate Wayfinding cohort. Funded through student green fees, the program paid participants a stipend for their time. “In essence, the sustainability fee was going back to the students who are stepping up as climate leaders on our campus. What could make more sense, really?”
The results were striking. Students showed up energized and engaged. They formed bonds that cut across academic silos and discovered strengths they didn’t know they had. As one participant shared: “I gained not only friends but a community that inspires me and gives me hope.”
The impact ripples didn’t stop when the program ended. The following semester, the cohort traveled to the Midwest Climate Summit together—connecting with peers from across the region and sharing their work with a broader community. Inspired by their Climate Wayfinding experience, several students have launched campus clubs and initiatives rooted in ideas explored during the program sessions.
By removing barriers and widening the circle of engagement, Niki’s approach reminds us that climate leadership development isn’t confined to any one major—or even the classroom. Sometimes, all it takes is the right space, meaningful support, and a community that believes in your voice.
