CLEAN Network Video Conferences

Abstract: Many of us have experience using an educational innovation that opens students' eyes to the urgency and scale of climate change and related challenges, or helps them see the potential of technological, policy, or economic solutions. But even the most effective educational tools do not 'go viral' – instead, they tend to be used by a small percentage of possible educators and, therefore, reach a small percentage of students. In this webinar, we'll explore the insights from a dynamic model we developed and described in a paper published in Nature Sustainability. We use the model to ask why these educational innovations do not scale rapidly and how scaling could be achieved. Our model and real-world examples show that community-based propagation can generate exponential growth and that, without it, we are unlikely to rapidly scale the educational innovations needed to build urgently needed capacity in sustainability.

Bio: Juliette Rooney-Varga directs the Climate Change Initiative, co-directs the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy, and is a professor of Environmental Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is also a Research Affiliate at the MIT System Dynamics Group.

She has more than twenty years' experience as a scientist studying biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Her current work focuses on translation of science to bridge the gap between scientific and societal understanding of climate change and sustainability. She develops and analyzes the impact of dynamic modeling and interactive simulations that enable people to learn for themselves about the climate and energy systems. These simulations bring current climate change and energy science to students, citizens, and policymakers at all levels and have been shown to motivate science-informed action.

She earned a Ph.D. at the University of New Hampshire, an MS from Cornell University and a BA from Colby College.

Abstract: The summit is an innovative gathering, inspired by forward-thinking programming of California's Strategic Growth Council and designed to foster collaboration among agencies and organizations, build strong partnership capacity in the city and surrounding counties, and form strategic alliances dedicated to enhancing Baltimore's environmental infrastructure and programming capacity. This summit will serve as a platform for bringing awareness to the most pressing environmental issues in the region, illuminating the vast landscape of funding opportunities, initiating the development of a collective synchronized agenda to capitalize on funding opportunities available to the region, and creating a safe space for groups to discuss the challenges facing climate action strategies, including infrastructure, funding, administrative barriers, and more. Learn from industry experts and environmental advocates about the latest policies, finance strategies, community initiatives and solutions to combat the climate crisis.

Bio: Cari A. Harris is a multifaceted leader, dedicated to driving organizational, economic and community change. For the past four years, Cari A. Harris has led The Butterfly Effect, a profit-generating consultancy, providing strategic advisory and consulting services to over 100 clients. Her professional expertise as a commercial consultant has been instrumental in driving organizational improvement with a focus on stakeholder engagement, special projects/programs management, economics/finance and compliance. Cari is the founder of the Claude C. Thornton (CCT) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving individual and community wellbeing through collective action and economics. Through the CCT Foundation, Cari founded the Greater Baltimore Climate Summit last year. The success of the inaugural summit is measured by impactful efforts including robust surveying of 846 regional stakeholders on priority climate issues, engaging over 609 event participants since last November, platforming the most prominent expert speakers on the subject matter, and aligning 22 partners on summit objectives including Morgan State University, Green & Healthy Homes Initiatives, Canopy by Hilton, John Hopkins Urban Health Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, National Aquarium, HBCU Environmental Justice Tech Collaborative, Interfaith Power & Light DMV and more. Currently, Cari sits on the advisory commission on Environmental Quality in Baltimore County and is a cohort member of Leadership Maryland's prestigious Emerging Leader Program, a six month professional development initiative designed for high-potential professionals poised to make significant contributions to their communities and industries. This appointment and executive leadership program further strengthen her leadership acumen and network within Greater Baltimore and Maryland's economic, environmental and civic landscape. Additionally, Cari is a Morgan State University alum with a Bachelors and Masters in Economics and an alumna of the Harbor Bank Emerging Developers Program's third cohort (2019-2020).

Abstract: Effective and equitable responses to climate change's intersecting causes and impacts, at the speed and scale we need, call for better ways to bring people into activation with that knowledge. Opening climate knowledge needs to be joined with commitments to keep adapting it for relevance and inclusion across the full spectrum of K to gray learners, across all ages and all sectors of society.

In this session, we'll examine how open climate learning materials and practices are developing to meet this charge, as communities exercise their rights to retain, revise, and remix open licensed climate learning content. Examples include localizing general climate knowledge for specific contexts, infusing learners' lived experiences into shared knowledge through open pedagogy, and adapting source materials for new audiences.

Bio: Curt Newton is catalyzing more engaged and equitable climate action through open knowledge practices and resources. Professionally, Curt combines two decades of open education leadership as Director of MIT OpenCourseWare with serving on MIT's climate education working group and convening an open climate learning community of practice. As a citizen, Curt is on the leadership team of the Boston Green New Deal Coalition, an active facilitator with the En-ROADS climate simulator, a national convener for the Council on the Uncertain Human Future, an improvising drummer who often performs in the service of climate engagement, and lives in a deep energy retrofit net-zero home.

Abstract: This new course covers climate change science, climate change impacts, how to talk about climate change, climate change humor, civic engagement, confronting climate change, careers, and more.

Bio: Michael Hoffmann is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He raises awareness of climate change through the foods we love and need. It's a science-based message about what is happening and what we all can do about it. He has published climate change articles in the popular press – The Hill, Fortune, Medium, and USA Today and is lead author of – Our Changing Menu: Climate and the Foods We Love and Need (Cornell Press 2021). His TEDx Talk – Climate Change: It's Time to Raise Our Voices has been well received. Previous positions he has held at Cornell include Executive Director of the Cornell Institute for Climate Change Solutions, Director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, and director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program. He received his BS Degree from the University of Wisconsin, MS from the University of Arizona, and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.

Abstract: The Connecting Climate Change and Business Semester Project, implemented in a Global Climate Change course at Bentley University, an undergraduate business school, enables students to explore how climate change is impacting and is impacted by a company and consider how that company is and should integrate climate change information into its decision making. The project has three parts: a Wikipedia contribution, the Final Paper and Final Presentation. The Wikipedia contribution is completely fact based drawn from secondary vetted resources and provides students the opportunity to inform the public beyond the university. In the Final Paper students' express opinions about what the company is and should be doing about climate change.  In the Final Presentation students share what they could do as an entry level employee to help their company address climate change. Pre- and post-course surveys provide insight into the impact this innovation had on students' understanding of the relevance of climate change for businesses.

Bio: Dr. Tamara Shapiro Ledley is a STEM education consultant, Earth and climate scientist, an En-ROADS Climate Ambassador, an Adjunct Professor at Bentley University, and co-founder of the CLEAN Network and the founding PI of the CLEAN  Collection. She was a 2017 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow and served as a senior scientist and chair of the Center for STEM Teaching and Learning at TERC. Dr. Ledley is the 2013 American Geophysical Union's Excellence in Geophysical Education Awardee and received Bentley University's Innovation in Teaching Award in 2024 for her work to make climate science relevant to business students future careers.

Simulations and games can be powerful methods for helping geolearners and geoscientists. However, the crucial element of debriefing is all-to-often ignored or skimped. This is both a pity and irresponsible because debriefing allows participants to consolidate understanding, reflect on decisions, maximize learning outcomes, promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, identify areas for improvement and generally enhances learning. Proper and structured debriefing is thus an essential strategy to make geoscience activities more effective and professional.

Description: The visual arts have a critical role to play as part of a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to climate change education. In this presentation, I will explore 5 different learning outcomes of integrated climate education through art: (1) to increase climate literacy; (2) to nurture biophilia; (3) to express climate emotions; (4) to develop empathy and justice; and (5) to take action. Specific attention will be given to the exploration of eco-emotions through art and other methods. The presentation will summarize concepts that are explored more fully by the author in Climate Change Education Across Disciplines K-12 and An Educator's Guide to Climate Emotions.

Bio: Carolyn McGrath is a visual arts and climate change educator who has worked in New Jersey public schools for over 26 years. A passionate advocate for interdisciplinary climate change education that integrates art, justice, emotion, and action, she frequently presents workshops on these topics. In 2022, as part of Subject to Climate's inaugural New Jersey teacher taskforce, Carolyn developed art and climate lessons for the New Jersey Climate Education Hub. Through collaboration with the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, she co-authored an Educator's Guide to Climate Emotions in 2024. Her chapter on "The Role of Art in Climate Change Education" will be published in Climate Change Education Across Disciplines K–12 in 2025. Carolyn and her students' artworks about climate change have been featured on NPR and PBS, as well as in The Washington Post, The Hechinger Report, USA Today, Education Week, Gen Dread, Grist, 5th National Climate Assessment, and other publications.

You can access the presentation here: Carolyn McGrath 12/17/24 presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 21MB Dec17 24)

Description: The Environmental and Natural Resources Technology (EARTh) Center, led by Central Carolina Community College and funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Advanced Technological Education division (NSF ATE), serves to enhance environmentally-related technical education at two-year colleges across the US. To accomplish this goal, the EARTh Center creates educational resources, offers in-person and online professional development opportunities for faculty, and provides mentoring to colleges seeking funding from NSF ATE. A wide array of industries falls under the scope of the EARTh Center, including Energy, Water, and the Built Environment.

Join the Director of the EARTh Center, Andrew McMahan, for an overview of the EARTh Center services and the opportunities and resources available for educators through the EARTh Center, as well as an open discussion with the attending educators about how resources/technologies are currently utilized in the classroom, and the opportunities/challenges of incorporating Immersive Ed resources into their curriculum.

Bio: Andrew McMahan Andrew has spent the past 20 years engaged in environmental and energy related workforce development at Central Carolina Community College in North Carolina. During this time, he has held roles as full-time instructor, curriculum developer, Department Chair, and Director of a statewide Energy Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP) for the North Carolina Community College System.  Andrew also serves as a Co-Principal Investigator for the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) led by Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin. Andrew is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Environmental Policy & Planning.

Description: Climate change education (CCE) plays a critical role in climate empowerment and addressing the challenge of climate change. We present results from the first social network analysis of CCE in the U.S. We surveyed CCE professionals through an established CCE network and wide dissemination from CCE professionals about their interactions with others across 5 dimensions: (1) climate and energy education; (2) climate action, climate empowerment, or community engagement; (3) workforce development in the climate and energy field; (4) diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism; and (5) climate or energy policy. The resulting network analysis shows some cohesiveness, especially for the first two dimensions; however, network cohesiveness could be improved. The findings also show the keystone organizations and brokers across the CCE field. This study provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to strengthen CCE for improving coordinated and collaborative climate action.

Bio: Kathryn (Katie) Boyd is an Education and Outreach Associate at CIRES, focusing on managing the CLEAN collection of climate educational resources. She earned her BS from the University of Washington and her MS from Colorado State University (CSU), both in Atmospheric Science. During these programs, she became interested in science education and outreach and worked with many groups helping the general public learn about weather & climate. She then returned to school and completed an interdisciplinary program with a focus on science education research, receiving a second MS in Ecology and Education from CSU. She previously worked in a science museum and has experience in informal education. Her professional interests include science education, outreach, and communication, specifically helping to build bridges between the scientific community and the public.

Description: As the western world has begun to wake up about the forces of climate, most African countries are still sleeping on it. I come fromb the eastern part of Africa and I will be discussing the importance of carrying out massive campaigns to teach people the importance of protecting our environment before it's too late in Africa and the world at large. I believe it's high time individuals like us step in since most governments in Africa don't care and all they think of is making money at whatever cost.

Hope for the Voiceless.