Virsa Foundation brings burnout film and screening campaign to Columbia Climate School

The Virsa Foundation hosted a fall screening of Third Degree Burnout: A Survivor's Guide at Columbia Climate School on Oct. 7, pairing the documentary with a panel on food, health and planetary wellbeing. The event marked a campus stop for Project reset., the film’s educational impact campaign launched during Climate Week NYC.

Why it matters: - The Columbia Climate School event tied burnout to food systems, climate and health in one campus program. - The screening gave students and attendees a structured way to reflect on burnout and identify a next step through the reset Check-In. - The event extended Project reset., the film’s educational impact campaign, beyond a single screening into a participatory format for campuses and other communities.

What happened: - The Virsa Foundation held a fall reset. event at Columbia Climate School on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. - The program took place at the Lee C. Bollinger Forum in New York City. - The evening featured a full screening of Third Degree Burnout: A Survivor's Guide. - The event included a moderated panel on food, health and planetary wellbeing. - The program also included the reset Check-In, a short anonymous reflection completed in the room. - Justine Herrera, MA, Senior Director of Academic Programs in Academic Affairs at Columbia Climate School, hosted and moderated the event. - The event followed the Sept. 22 launch of Project reset. during Climate Week NYC.

The details: - Third Degree Burnout: A Survivor's Guide is a 101-minute documentary produced by The Virsa Foundation through its JIVINITI research program. - Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes directed and executive produced the film. - The documentary examines burnout beyond the workplace and connects it to bodies, kitchens, screens and food systems. - The film includes physicians, researchers, climate and mental health perspectives, Gen Z voices, humor and animation. - The documentary has won 15 awards, including three Telly Awards and two UN-affiliated recognitions. - Project reset. links documentary storytelling with reflection and practical action through five pathways: Nourish, Restore, Move, Connect and Rebalance. - The reset Check-In helps participants identify a next step. - Hosts receive aggregate, de-identified results from the Check-In. - Herrera said the film was powerful, compelling and humorous, and that it highlighted the link between personal health and planetary health. - The screening was followed by a conversation with César Perez, MA, CAMS; Hava Chishti, MA; Lukas Paltanavicius, MSc; and Jaswal-Wirtjes. - Lukas Paltanavicius said the film connects land use, food choices and change. - César Perez said the film makes climate finance visible through food, subsidies and values. - Madison Malthaner, a current student in the MS in Climate program, said the film’s holistic approach connected food production, climate and the social determinants of health. - Malthaner said plant-based diets appeared to strengthen connections to food systems and reduce burnout. - Amina Diop, a Columbia Climate School alumna, said the film reflected her experience as a survivor of a climate-induced disaster. - Diop said the film captured the paradox of burnout and resilience after compounded crises. - Jaswal-Wirtjes said a film can reach a broader audience than a report, and Columbia Climate School created a room of people ready to engage.

Between the lines: - The event framed burnout as a systems issue, not only an individual workplace problem. - The mix of screening, panel and reflection suggests the campaign is designed to move audiences from awareness to action. - The campus setting gave the project a test case for whether a documentary can drive discussion across climate, health and food disciplines.

What's next: - The Virsa Foundation and Culture Bridge are inviting organizations to host screenings paired with the Project reset. experience. - The outreach is focused on campuses, women’s health programs and networks, workplaces and conferences. - Healthcare institutions, clinicians and community groups can also inquire about hosting. - Universities and colleges interested in the program can explore the campus screening experience. - Screening and partnership inquiries can be sent to jiviniti@thevirsafoundation.org or Brian Walker, CEO of Culture Bridge, at bwalker@culturebridgeimpact.com. - The Virsa Foundation says JIVINITI research includes The SHAKTI Study and The GAIA Study, a survey of 14,626 Americans conducted with Ipsos Public Affairs. - More information is available on Instagram and YouTube.

The bottom line: - The Virsa Foundation is using film, reflection and campus programming to turn burnout into a conversation about health, climate and practical next steps.