Imagine a week where teachers from different corners of the United States gather to shape the future of climate and equity education. Between July 30 and Aug. 5, Emily Higgins of Boothbay Region High School took part in a Climate and Equity Institute, held at the Schoodic Institute, in Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine. The Institute was conducted by TERC, an internationally recognized STEM education and research nonprofit located in Cambridge, Massachusetss, at the request of the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation.

Higgins was selected in a nationwide search for teacher leaders to help build a growing network of teachers who are pioneering ways to help students see the science of climate change in its human context. With climate impacts affecting communities in unique ways, a place-based approach is crucial. The nature and severity of these impacts vary depending on the location, economic and political resources, and the populations represented in each community. 

“The week's work was designed to support teachers to share their experience, but also to learn from each other, as well as from experts in the field,” said Gilly Puttick, senior scientist at TERC and member of the Institute’s facilitation team. 

The facilitation team brought rich expertise from ecological science, curriculum development in several fields, classroom experience, teacher education, and knowledge of and commitment to educational and environmental justice and equity.  

Out of the nearly 90 applicants, Higgins was among the 12 invited to the intensive week-long event. Participating teachers came from across the country — Hawai'i, the Pacific Northwest, the South, Midwest, and Northeast. The week began with a full day devoted to teachers' presenting and discussing examples of their strategies for engaging students with the equity issues related to climate change science.

With this foundation in the teachers' work, the Institute helped the teachers explore key aspects of climate and justice, with input from guest speakers. These sessions included discussions on place (urban, suburban, rural), and introduced a “landscape” view that acknowledges how different places are connected. Other topics included indigenous perspectives, the role of youth in climate action, and how teachers deal with the emotional trauma related to teaching climate change and equity. Each speaker started with a brief presentation, followed by conversations where teachers asked questions, made connections, and related the discussions to their own work. Some of the guest speakers were teachers who had attended last year's Institute, demonstrating the lasting impact of the program.

The Institute schedule also gave teachers time to talk informally and to take advantage of the spectacular natural setting of the Maine seashore at Schoodic Point and Acadia National Park. By mid-week, the teachers were identifying possible projects for collaboration during the coming year. Emily Higgins has joined a teacher in Kansas in having students research and observe birds as indicators of our world's health. She is also participating in GreenTalk, a project that will provide space to connect with others and the nature of your place. GreenTalk will involve students throughout the country and thus open connections among students living in very different places.

In the coming year, the Climate and Equity Institute teachers will continue networking with their colleagues across the country, and with the TERC project facilitators. Together they will contribute to a growing knowledge of best practices for teaching climate and equity for an informed and engaged citizenry.

To learn more about the Climate and Equity Institute, and see announcements about next year's Institute, visit terc.edu/climateandequity.

About TERC

TERC is a nonprofit dedicated to innovation and creative problem solving in education. We have a passion for social justice and strive to create level playing fields for all learners, reaching millions of students every year.  TERC is recognized as a national leader in the design of teacher professional development programs, and STEM curricula for grades K-16.  Research and development on climate and climate change related projects have been underway at TERC for more than 35 years. Their research has substantially advanced knowledge related to many aspects of STEM teaching and learning. To learn more, please visit www.terc.edu. 

About MacArthur Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, decreasing nuclear risk, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., and reducing corruption in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsive democracy as well as the vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago.