Teaching climate studies can be an isolating experience, as teachers addressing these issues may not have the resources, support, or collaboration available to those in more traditional disciplines. The effects can extend not only to educators but also to the students they teach. One practical way around such isolation is building community through teacher networks, and doing so is proving effective.
One successful initiative is the Climate and Equity Institute, funded by the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation and conducted by TERC, a STEM education research and development nonprofit. Each summer, a cohort of high school teachers from across the country gathers in Maine for a free-of-charge week that helps build positive momentum extending well beyond themselves. They share, reflect, and plan, exploring how to acknowledge and respond to student anxiety, how to connect climate and equity education to the natural world around them, and how to empower students to take meaningful action. Attendees describe the experience as transformative.
“I feel like it shifted my thinking in some big picture ways,” said a participant from Orville, Calif. “It’s not so much about specific activities or lessons [although there are a few of those]. It’s more about bigger concepts like the power of narrative for developing empathy, making climate instruction more trauma-informed, maintaining active hope, and humanizing education in general.”
Participants speak of new confidence in addressing equity in the classroom and teaching about the inequitable impacts of climate change. They also come away with new tools for responding to student emotions. Many say they find new energy to create classroom spaces and community partnerships where hope can flourish alongside scientific inquiry.
“From the beginning, the institute was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively,” said a participant from Boston, Mass. “The efforts made to create a particular professional development experience centered around the driving question: What are the qualities that distinguish effective climate education and equity? The variety of activities, including opportunities for deeper reflection and sharing… set the conditions for our particular cohort to gel in a way that some of us may have hoped for but none of us really expected.”
Once back in their schools, teachers create new networks for climate learning and discussion by sharing their experiences with other instructors. They lead professional development activities, create interdisciplinary collaborations, and design student projects. For example, a teacher might launch a campus green team, introduce place-based research, or present their new insights at conferences or in publications.
The cohorts maintain their connection to each other through a growing online community. Alumni meet virtually throughout the year, and a newsletter keeps the wider group informed about projects, successes, and challenges. These ongoing ties continue to combat isolation and strengthen the sense of belonging that teachers so often lack when teaching climate change. They also ensure that the work remains dynamic, constantly refreshed by new voices and ideas.
A participant from Glacier County, Mont., comments on these aspects of the program: “A new goal that I now have is to continue the climate and equity conversation as I go forward and participate with other groups. For example, I am looking forward to attending the state STEM Institute and visiting with other teachers about climate and equity curriculum. After this week, I am really interested to see what others in my state are doing.”
This model of professional learning illustrates what is possible when teachers feel prepared to meet climate issues with both knowledge and compassion. Most importantly, when teachers return to their schools, they carry with them not only new practices but also a network of colleagues who support and inspire one another—and they commit to expanding that network.
If we’re going to confront climate change with resilience and purpose, we must begin by supporting teachers and their students. Institutes like this show that when educators are given space to collaborate, the effects reach far beyond one week in the summer. They create communities of practice that span across classrooms, districts, and states, helping to build a generation that is ready to face the climate challenges ahead.
Gilly Puttick is a senior scientist at TERC, a STEM education research and development nonprofit. She has directed many federally funded education projects and now focuses primarily on climate change education. She credits the success of the Climate and Equity Institute to the invaluable assistance of her TERC colleagues, Brian Drayton, Folashade Solomon, and Annie Sussman.