NOAA Climate Stewards
June 26, 2015
Why is NOAA doing this?
NOAA’s education mission:
To advance environmental literacy and promote a diverse workforce in
ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate sciences, encouraging
stewardship and increasing informed decision making for the Nation.
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Public understanding of Earth’s interconnected systems is crucial to our
ability to apply knowledge and problem-solving skills to real-world
issues (Hoffman and Barstow, 2007). The stewardship of our planet’s
resources for current and future generations is critical to the long-term
sustainability of society and the planet.
Leadership Team
Educators have trouble talking
about climate change
 Discussions of climate change are politicized
 More than 25% of teachers reported having arguments
over this issue. (NESTA Survey of Earth Science Teachers, 2011)
 Many educators are not sure of the science are looking
for credible information sources and education resources
Climate Science is an
integral part of NGSS
NGSS introduces global climate change as a core idea in
middle/high school including:
• human activities affect global warming
• decisions to reduce the impacts of global warming
depend on understanding climate science, engineering
capabilities, and social dynamics
• global climate models used to predict changes continue
to improve
NOAA Climate Stewards
Builds Climate Literacy so educators and students can:
• understand the concepts of climate
• assess the scientifically credibility of information
• make informed and responsible decisions, and initiate
actions in the community
Benefits for Participants
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Mini-grant funding to develop and implement a climate
stewardship action plan.
Travel stipends to attend and present at regional
workshops and key professional development conferences.
Special contests with monetary and educational resource
prizes.
Indicators of Success:
Evaluation Results
NOAA Climate Stewards:
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Showed increased confidence in teaching about climate
related topics
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Adopted changes to their teaching practice
•
Developed and implemented stewardship projects
•
Expressed interest in continuing to participate in
ongoing professional development experiences.
“I am much more able to effectively
integrate climate into the curriculum
due to the resources and training in
the program”
Strong effects on stewardship
project participants:
Feeling they could make a difference (9.1/10)*
• Increased knowledge of climate science (8.9)
• Readiness to apply what they had learned (8.7)
• Increased awareness of climate science careers (8.1)
• Meeting other climate-interested people (7.5)
•
*Scale of 1-10
Stewardship in Action!
• Restoration and Sequestration with beach grasses
• Polar Bear Challenge: Conserve energy and change habits
• Model UN Climate Change Summit
• Climate Change impacts on wetlands
• Schoolyard gardens & biochar – Sequestering Carbon
• Effects of ocean acidification on Hawaiian ecosystems
Organizational Structure for 2015
2 Ways to be involved!
I. Climate Education Community
•Monthly Webinars
•Monthly Book/Discussion Clubs
•Regional workshops
II. Climate Stewardship Community
•Must Be Working on or Propose a
Stewardship Action Project
(Apply via Public Website in Fall)
•Receive Information Opportunities
(occasional basis)
•Participate in Peer Review Groups to
refine your project and apply for
funding
•Communication Via “Push” EMail List
(sign up on public website)
•Community-Wide Communication Via
Interactive Email Listserve
•You choose the level of involvement
•Opportunities for travel
reimbursements conferences &/or
workshops
I. Climate Education Community
Access to climate experts on monthly webinars, followed
by peer discussions
• Monthly informal discussions around a video, article, or
book.
• Access to regional workshops (5 in 2015)
• Receive certificates of recognition for your attendance
• Receive information on opportunities & access to
resources on Web site
•
II. Stewardship Community
Support for projects in your classroom or community
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Discussion (feedback) groups provide
suggestions for your project idea.
Opportunities for mini-grants to support your
project (up to $2000)
Community-wide communication via
participant-driven interactive email list-serve
Continuing support for evaluation of your
project
Have your project highlighted on the NOAA
website
Support for travel to conferences/meetings to
support dissemination of project results.
What is a stewardship project?
•
•
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Understanding your influence on
climate and climate’s influence on you
and society.
Taking responsibility for
environmental quality shared by all
those whose actions affect the
environment. (http://www.epa.gov/stewardship/)
Taking action to reduce climate change
and its impacts
Not a NOAA Climate Steward now?
Want to join these communities?
Climate Education Community - Send an email to
Bruce.Moravchik@noaa.gov. In the subject line type
“Join Climate Stewards Education Section”
Stewardship Community Applications
will be open in the fall!
oceanservice.noaa.gov/
education/climate-stewards
Questions?
Contact:
Bruce.Moravchik@noaa.gov
Molly.Harrison@noaa.gov
Peg.Steffen@noaa.gov