Join the Youth Steering Committee's Earth Week of Action April 19-21! |
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The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate and Resilience Education Task Force’s Youth Steering Committee is gearing up for an Earth Week of Action by advocating for the passage of two climate change education bills, S.596 and S.4781 introduced into the New York State legislature by Senator Rachel May. If passed by New York State’s legislature, these bills would lead to the inclusion of interdisciplinary climate change education across core subjects in New York’s public high school curricula.
The Youth Steering Committee – comprised of seven NYC public high schoolers – will also be sharing a collection of resources that aim to integrate climate justice education into New York schools’ curricula.
· Memo of Support Monday (April 19, 6pm - 7pm), inviting individuals and organizations to write memos of support for the two bills;
· Toolkit Tuesday (April 20, 6pm - 7pm), where students and teachers alike can learn about the education resources the students have compiled in the Toolkit;
· Wake-up Call Wednesday (April 21, 2pm - 3pm), during which participants will learn about the two Senate bills and call their representatives, asking them to co-sponsor the bills.
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Federal Climate Change Education Act Reintroduced |
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The federal Climate Change Education Act, has been reintroduced by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts. S.966 and the companion H.R.2310, introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan would create an Office of Climate Change Education within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and authorize that office to dispense $40 million in grants to state educational agencies, colleges and universities, professional associations and youth corps organizations. The Campaign for Climate Literacy is asking individuals and organizations to help pass the bill.
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Climate Change Education Resources |
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Another resource for climate change lessons is the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness (CLEAN) network - a collection of 700+ free, ready-to-use learning resources rigorously reviewed by scientists and suitable for secondary through higher education classrooms.
The Resilient Schools Consortium (RiSC) curriculum for middle and high school students, addressing coastal resilience and heat equity, is available for free download on the RiSC website.
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Climate Change Education Conference April 22-23, 2021 |
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Join us to learn more about the RiSC program on Friday, April 23rd, Session 3A and/or explore dozens of sessions on climate education at the CUNY Conference on Climate Change Education (C4E). The Conference is bringing together formal and informal educators throughout the world to discuss how best to inform the public about climate change. Register here.
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Opportunity for High School Students |
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As climate change heats up the Earth, cities - whose concrete surfaces absorb and retain heat - are warming up faster than rural areas. Every year, about 450 New Yorkers visit emergency rooms and 100 die from extreme heat. The same black and brown communities that have been hardest hit by Covid are also those most impacted by climate change, including extreme heat. Last fall, schools participating in the Resilient Schools Consortium (RiSC) program planted various species of native trees on their school campuses with Trees New York as part of a lesson on heat equity. Trees provide shade, cool the air through evapotranspiration, and provide vital habitat for wildlife. These signs will be installed by the trees the students planted that are now budding. Check out free digital learning resources about the importance of street trees to combat the urban heat island effect here and learn about the National Wildlife Federation's Trees for Wildlife program.
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"It's Our Future," our short film about the Resilient Schools Consortium (RiSC) program, has been accepted into the BNP Paribas Green Film Festival in Krakow, Poland. The festival runs from August 15-24, 2021. "It's Our Future" will be screened from August 15-22, 2021. The film first debuted at the DC Environmental Film Festival on March 28, 2021.
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Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world
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