Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) Class of 2004 alumna Yadin Larochette is one of the recent recipients of development funding made available through the Department of Art Conservation’s Alumni Professional Venture Fund. Larochette used her award to pursue training through the UK’s Carbon Literacy Project and a series of online courses on change management and conflict resolution offered through the University of Delaware Division of Professional and Continuing Studies. Larochette is now adapting the carbon literacy course for the U.S. cultural sector.

Excerpted from Yadin’s award report:

The climate crisis, which evidence has shown is exacerbated by carbon emissions, is an increasing threat to cultural heritage and the planet. Our actions, policies and procedures within the field of cultural heritage preservation contribute to these emissions and have a negative impact on the global environment. Calls to reduce our carbon footprint, such as the recommendations made in the 2023 Held in Trust report and in the Bizot Green Protocol (refreshed in 2023), require changing attitudes and adjusting practices.

The WUDPAC Professional Venture Fund award supported two distinct trajectories to facilitate changes towards more sustainable practices.

• 7 online courses on change management and conflict resolution through the University of Delaware Division of Professional and Continuing Studies. 
• Carbon literacy training, training accreditation and new course certification through the UK-based UK’s Carbon Literacy Project (CLP).   

Learnings from the change management and conflict resolution courses have enhanced my leadership skills as co-chair of the American Institute for Conservation Sustainability Committee and my role as an independent consultant, collaborating with conservators in private practice and businesses that serve the arts and cultural heritage.

The goal of working with the CLP, based in the United Kingdom was three-fold:

• To become carbon literate certified
• To gain carbon literacy training accreditation
• To develop CLP-certified content for a two-half-day seminar for the cultural sector here in the United States.

Once the course was completed, each participant was asked to pledge both an individual action and a group action aimed at reducing their carbon footprint. My group action consisted of receiving CLP training accreditation and adapting the course for the U.S. cultural sector. This course, which will be offered through various channels, is aimed at inspiring stakeholders to take meaningful actions toward reducing both their individual and collective carbon footprints. This is the only CLP-certified course specifically designed for the cultural sector in the United States.

This new course follows the CLP framework, which is made up of 4 modules:

• Module 1 is an introduction to the science behind climate change and its impacts on the arts and cultural heritage. 
• Module 2 reviews the roles that art and cultural institutions play in connecting with their communities on the topic of climate change and climate justice. 
• Module 3 looks at measuring carbon footprints and related institutional and governmental policies. 
• Module 4 discusses action planning and communication strategies.

Examples and case studies are interspersed throughout the course, and each program will be tailored to specific audiences by discipline and/or by region.

Presenting at the International Museum Conference on Climate Change

In April, I shared observations and key learnings around the Mechanisms of Change at the International Museum Conference on Climate Change in Vienna, Austria. This conference brought together a wide array of disciplines. Art conservators, conservation scientists, engineers, architects, entomologists, climatologists, biologists and other specialists from across the globe presented on how climate change is impacting museums and heritage. I recently adapted the presentation for the  Western Association of Art Conservation conference that took place in Anchorage, Alaska, Sept. 17-20, 2025. The paper was very well received at both venues and has inspired evolving conversations.

The American Institute for Conservation’s Endorsement of the Bizot Green Protocol & Related Articles

In January, I shared the AIC Board’s endorsement of the Bizot Green Protocol Refresh in the AIC News, incorporating the history and evolution of environmental management in museums and underscoring why we need to be adapting to the protocol. In the following April issue of AIC News, I coordinated members from both the AIC Sustainability Committee and the AIC Preventive Care Network to co-write “Managing Museum Environments: Reconsiderations, Reflections, and Resources.”

Course Review

The draft of the new course will now be reviewed by the CLP. Once approved, I intend to first offer the seminar as a pilot to select individuals and groups (including the AIC Sustainability Committee). I foresee a public launch in the new year. I am deeply grateful for this grant to help offset the costs involved in developing the course, and for CLP’s guidance during the development process. I am especially thankful to CLP’s Phoebe Rhodes, cultural sector officer, and Jack Rhodes-Worden, cultural sector coordinator.

-Yadin Larochette, WUDPAC Class of 2004

See elsewhere on the ARTC site for information on previous Venture Fund projects focused on bringing training and research opportunities to new audiences.