A Glimpse into CREST’s 4th Annual Retreat

CREST hosted its 4th Annual Retreat on October 20, 2025, at the City College of New York’s (CCNY) Center for Workers Education (CWE), located at 25 Broadway in Manhattan. The retreat convened 35 participants, including 8 students and 27 CREST members, representing CREST-affiliated faculty, researchers, staff, graduate students, Board members, Associate Directors, affiliated Center Directors, and CREST leadership and management. 

Designed as a day-long convening, the retreat provided a collaborative forum to reflect on CREST’s progress since 2024 and to co-design a forward-looking strategy that strengthens the institute’s research, education, community partnerships, innovation, workforce development, and international engagement. Participants revisited CREST’s vision and mission, reinforced alignment with the broader CUNY mission, and explored pathways to expand CREST’s impact across CUNY, local communities, and globally. 

Through facilitated discussions and breakout sessions, attendees developed pillar roadmaps and explored opportunities for cross-pillar collaboration, engagement, and increased visibility. These deliberations informed shared priorities and actionable strategies to advance CREST’s sustainability goals, with a focus on interdisciplinary environmental research and training, community-centered engagement, innovation, and workforce diversity.

Key Actions and Next Steps

The retreat resulted in several concrete actions to guide CREST’s next phase of growth:

• Finalize Pillar Strategic Plans (2026–2028): CREST will consolidate stakeholder feedback, finalize the pillar roadmaps, and share updates.
• Cross-Pillar Collaboration and Coordination: Dedicated working groups will support joint proposals, shared projects, and coordinated resource use.
• Quarterly Check-Ins: Beginning January 2026, CREST will host quarterly progress sessions to review milestones and maintain momentum.

As part of CREST’s commitment to accountability and continued engagement, the second CREST Advisory Board meeting was successfully held on December 4, 2025, as planned.

The 2025 CREST Annual Retreat reaffirmed CREST’s commitment to becoming a national and global leader in interdisciplinary Earth systems and environmental research and training, community-centered engagement, and innovation. The outcomes of the retreat provided a clear roadmap for strengthening CREST’s impact across CUNY and beyond.