Confronting the Crisis of COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract. When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared an international crisis by the World Health Organization in March 2020, a group of activists, academics, performers, influencers, and innovators in diverse fields of the environment and mental health, representing government, civil society, academia, and the arts, came together to plan a way to mitigate the impact of the crisis on people and the planet. The resulting 1-day conference, held virtually on May 17, 2020, included didactic and experiential modules bridging mental health, education, and environmental initiatives to help people thrive during the crisis, as well as to provide sustainable adaptation and mitigation models for communities and the broader global population. The event sparked the development and expansion of an educational platform with hybrid online and on-location offerings which are ongoing and growing in outreach. The initiative addresses several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely 2 end hunger, 3 health and well-being, 4 education for all, 11 sustainable cities and communities, 12 responsible consumption and production, 13 climate action, 14 life below water, 15 life on land, and 17 multistakeholders partnerships. This article documents the various components of this applied project entitled, the “COVID-19 What’s Next?” conference. Specifically, the article discusses the planning and creation of the conference, the multistakeholder partners, production and marketing efforts, implementation and outcomes, and subsequent steps to make the conference initiative sustainable.