An award has been made to Columbia University to establish a Phase I Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) in collaboration with Teachers College, Barnard College, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the International Arctic Research Center, and the American Museum of Natural History.

The overall goal of the CCEP Phase I project is to establish a coordinated national network of regionally- or thematically-based partnerships devoted to increasing the adoption of effective, high quality educational programs and resources related to the science of climate change and its impacts. This project will focus on developing a Polar Learning and Responding (POLAR) Climate Partnership. Through this award, the POLAR partnership will research novel educational approaches using cutting-edge polar science to engage adult learners in advancing their understanding of climate change, weighing scientific evidence, and stimulating meaningful individual and collective responses.

The audience targeted by this project includes adult learners and educational practitioners: college students, pre- and in-service teachers, informal education practitioners, others who create educational resources, and lifelong learners in the general public. Stakeholders and end users are young adults, future scientists, citizens, managers, and decision-makers including those in remote areas such as the Arctic.

The specific goal of the Phase I POLAR project is to establish a partnership that, based on a thorough search of existing polar climate science and learning and decision resources, develops the theoretical foundation for, and tests the initial designs of, novel formal and informal educational approaches. Focus will be on resources that help adult learners understand the mechanisms and impacts of climate change, and learn how to respond with sustainable solutions. The partnership will explore approaches that are based on scientific evidence, effective, easy to disseminate, informative, fun, and easy to use in classrooms, homes, museums, or the workplace.

By the end of this project, the PIs expect to have a well-developed partnership, inventory, and strategic plan for Phase II that focuses on transforming the way people think about climate science: shifting it from a contentious issue to a personal and professional challenge. More information on this project is available by visiting http://climate.columbia.edu/ or contacting the PI, Stephanie Pfirman at polar@ei.columbia.edu.