Climate Change Education -- Taught Virtually, Reaches a Wide Audience
Over 50 local Philadelphia teachers participated in the third annual Philadelphia Climate Change Summer Institute held from August 11-13, 2020. This 3-day training session provided teachers with the resources, tools and skills to incorporate climate change education into their classrooms. Due to Covid-19, the teacher training was virtual, yet this didn’t stop teachers and presenters eager to engage and collaborate with one another.
Institute organizer Holly Gallagher of the National Wildlife Federation kicking off the virtual training session on Tuesday, August 11th via Zoom.
Sponsored by a grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation, the Climate Change Summer Institute was organized by a dedicated team of partners, including National Wildlife Federation’s Eco Schools, the School District of Philadelphia’s GreenFutures, The Franklin Institute, Fairmount Water Works, Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Regional Sustainability Teachers’ Academy, and Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.
The team of Climate Change Summer Institute presenters and organizers.
The goals of the workshop aimed to:
Build knowledge of the science behind local climate change impacts in schools and communities
Gain communication skills around climate change
Create a plan for developing student-led action
Grow a community of practice around climate change education.
Summer Institute organizer Holly Gallagher, National Wildlife Federation’s Senior Manager of Education & Community Conservation reflected, “We wanted this online event to inform and engage teachers. We sprinkled the content with interactive games, polls, and quizzes. With virtual breakout sessions and chat, we provided teachers with the opportunity to share their ideas with, and receive live feedback from, their colleagues.” She added, “There was a truly collaborative spirit among the participants!”
Nearly 90% of the participants were teachers from the School District of Philadelphia, and about half of the participants taught high school. Teachers represented a wide variety of school subjects: including Physics and Biology, English and Language Arts, among other subjects. Regardless of subject matter or grade level, it was clear that climate change is an interdisciplinary topic relevant across the curriculum. Teachers were eager to learn how to effectively incorporate climate change education into their own classrooms.
The Science of Climate Change & the Power of Storytelling
On the first day of the training, Franklin Institute’s Climate Scientist, Dr. Rachel Valletta, provided the foundation and scientific background on climate change facts and research. Participants interacted in a virtual fast-paced trivia game on climate change through Kahoot to test their knowledge and challenge myths. Curriculum Resources Manager, Rachel Castro-Diephouse, also of the Franklin Institute, led the lively discussion on climate change communication, emphasizing the importance of using metaphors to communicate the complex features of climate change to students. “In order for students to understand the complexities of climate change,” Castro-Diephouse noted, “it’s important to adjust conversations to connect climate change with universal, recognizable experiences that students can relate to and understand.” She added, “Personal connections are essential to conversations on climate.”
Presenter Rachel Castro-Diephouse sharing tools to help teachers create meaningful climate change conversations with their students.
Regional Program Manager, Molly Cashion, of Arizona State University’s Sustainability Teachers’ Academy led a “Sustainability 101” session addressing the “wicked problem” of climate change. Cashion guided teachers in using a fishbone diagram to unpack the consequences of Philadelphia’s urban heat island effect.
Climate Change Education in the Classroom
The second day featured a panel discussion of local Philadelphia teachers who shared their own experiences with climate change education in their classrooms. Cook-Wissahickon’s teachers Jose L. Ramos and Diane O’Fee-Powers emphasized the interdisciplinary connections of climate change education. Ramos stated, “Units on climate change should include conversations that address equity, and should give students the chance to engage with faculty and peers of all ages.” In a post-training survey, one teacher reflected, “[The training] really inspired me to make a co-curricular service project around climate change.” Another panelist, teacher, Kimberli Hunt of Baldi Middle School, encouraged teachers to look for partnerships among administrators and local businesses who are eager to work with teachers and students. Abraham Lincoln High School’s science teacher, Paula Miller, shared her story of environmental sustainability going back to her Irish roots -- where her family used and reused every resource, and emphasized that for her “sustainability is a way of life.” Bert Johnson, also of Abraham Lincoln High School, noted that students will be greatest ambassadors in making change and gaining support from administration and colleagues. Johnson engages his students in sustainability concepts by adding live chickens and aquaponics to his curriculum.
Incorporating Climate Change into the Curriculum
The day continued with presentations from Fairmount Water Works’ Ellen Schultz and Boyer Sudduth’s Mary Ann Boyer. Schultz’s presentation outlined tools to incorporate climate change education into existing curriculums, while Boyer shared a tool for teachers to identify and break down complex problems at their schools by analyzing the root causes and consequences of a problem before working towards finding solutions.
Presenter Mary Ann Boyer used Arizona State University’s Problem Tree as a tool for teachers to identify a key problem, discuss root causes, brainstorm consequences before tackling solutions.
The final day of the training included a presentation by the School District’s Sustainability Manager, Megan Garner, on identifying stakeholders and the District’s commitment towards Education for Sustainability. The presentation concluded with an introduction to creating climate action plans.
Presenter Megan Garner of Philadelphia School District’s GreenFutures shares a tool to help teachers identify and manage various stakeholders at their schools.
Education for Sustainability
Though the teacher training took on a new, virtual format, the integrity of the program persisted. Ramos reiterated the importance of this training as the first steps toward making change, stating, “An education for sustainability is a global response to climate change.” Teachers left the training with the tools and the motivation to make change in their classrooms and to be a part of a much larger, global effort.
Written by Ellie Murphy, Sustainability Intern, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, and a rising senior at Bates College, 2021.
