We are excited to announce that our 2023 Summer Institute for Climate Change Education model will continue from July 17-22!
18 regional partners across North America are creating an innovative, collaborative, solutions-focused virtual conference with our team. Since January, Cohort Partners have participated in monthly collaborative business meetings to develop the themes, content, and structure of the Summer Institute, which also informs the following year’s Teach Climate Network programming. Each of the cohort partners leads mini-workshops on the institute’s third day, focusing on climate change impacts, solutions, and relationships within their regions.
Educators who attend the institute will join group leaders to create a community focused on climate change solutions and climate justice, and have access to education resources during the summer institute. This year’s cohort leaders are experts in climate change education within their communities, and we’re so excited and lucky that they’ll be joining us this summer and beyond.
Welcome the 2023 Summer School Districts and Leaders!
Ota Meyer
Center Director, Little Rock Audubon Center
Amy Frame
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ten Strands
“As educators in California, we know that now is the time to teach about climate change and environmental justice. This summer institute has become a great meeting place for us to share great ideas for teaching, learning, and being in the community with people working for climate justice from every angle. We have to think about what is unique to California students, but also how we are part of a much larger movement.”
Catherine Melrose
Executive Director of the Alberta Council on Environmental Education
Dixie Taylor
Program Director, Alberta Council on Environmental Education
“We are excited to support educators and students as they navigate ways to engage and participate in climate solutions. The Alberta Council on Environmental Education believes that our children and youth have an important voice in changing how we view our current environmental crisis.”
– Dixie Taylor
Danica Streko
Senior Director of Education, Project Learning Tree Canada
James Thordarson
Forestry Education Coordinator, Project Learning Tree Canada
“We all have the opportunity to make a difference and take action when it comes to climate change. And it starts with education. That’s why Project Learning Tree Canada is excited to join the Climate Generation Summer Institute as a lead group this year, helping to empower educators across Canada to teach confidently about climate change through advanced knowledge of quality content and resources.”
– Danica Streko
Barbara Martinez Guerrero
Executive Director, Dream in Green
Alexandra Ender
Dream in Green Program Director
Elise Treligan
Chesapeake B-WET Program Coordinator, NOAA
Jennifer Ayers
Teacher, Patrick County High School
Daniel Hefferan
Regional Education Coordinator, Climate Generation
“Helping to personalize and localize climate action in my regional community brings me so much joy!”
Mary Fargo
Educational Resources Coordinator, Climate Generation
“This is my third Summer Institute, and each year I feel so grateful to meet a new group of educators who are passionate about integrating climate change into their work! I look forward to discussing climate change from a multifaceted perspective, sharing our stories, and celebrating our past, present, and future efforts to build our students’ climate literacy!”
Allison Malch
Director of Education, New Jersey Audubon
“New Jersey is very excited to participate in this national collaboration for teaching about climate change. Our group will be ready to incorporate new education standards that are changing climate with an emphasis on teamwork, solutions, and hope.”
Hannah Barge
Youth Climate Program Director, The Wild Centre
“I believe that looking at climate change through a location-based lens is critical to better understanding climate change and working toward a just transition in all of our communities. Cohort Day provides an opportunity to dig deeper into how concepts from the rest of the institute apply to our regions and our lives. I am excited to convene the New York cohort this year to ignite a community of practice across the state working for equitable climate change education and solutions.”
Jane Critzer
Director of Climate Initiatives, The Wild Centre
“The Summer Institute is a nationally recognized initiative with an amazing range of speakers, presenters, and workshops that get to the heart of understanding the intersection of climate change science, its impacts, social justice, and solutions. The resources and support provided by Climate Generation are top notch and it is very inspiring to work with the best climate change educators and organizations from around the country. Having access and the opportunity to interact with teachers and educators from around the world is really motivating. I also appreciate our ability, as leaders of the NYS group, to focus on issues and opportunities directly related where we are.”
Katie Boyd
Program Director, CLEAN
“CLEAN has led a group with the Summer Institute for two years and is enjoying the process. We find value in connecting with and supporting educators as they implement climate change into their practices. We hope to continue to support Climate Generation and the many amazing educators who attend the Summer Institute.”
Colin Kelly
Education Director, Hitchcock Center for the Environment
“I am excited to connect with other educators in our area to form relationships, bring them to join youth climate summits, and introduce them to the Hitchcock Center’s climate work.”
Brittany Guttermouth
Climate Change Education Program Director, Mas Audubon
“I am excited to be back as a group leader this summer to continue supporting teachers wherever they are on their climate journey.”
Carrie Hawthorne
Southeast Principal Education Coordinator, Mas Audubon
“The Summer Institute for Climate Education was an inspiring opportunity to connect with educators and community leaders from across the Northeast to ensure students and educators in our region are energized and empowered to act through hopeful climate change education. I was so moved by the speakers, workshops, and most importantly the emotional and thought-provoking conversations at the group day—I can’t wait for 2023!”
Karina Bigaw
Program Coordinator, Byrd Center for Polar and Climate Research
“I am excited to join the Climate Generation Summer Institute because it builds on the climate outreach we are currently doing in Central Ohio. Climate change affects people differently depending on where they live and what resources are available to them, and I hope the knowledge shared during the Climate Change Education Summer Institute will help us transition to a resilient future—together.”
Mark Reardon
Education Director, Communitopia
Sarah Johnson
Climate Change Education Specialist, WildRose Education
“I look forward to meeting and learning from participants from the Rocky Mountain region how climate change solutions are emerging in their communities. I love bringing together educators and regional climate experts to engage in exploration and intentional investigation, all through a lens of fairness and justice for everything. Exploring, teaching, and learning about climate change in so many scales of the human and natural world using so many lenses is inspiring, eye-opening, expansive, and creates relevant real-world concepts of how and can be a part of climate solutions for all people.” .
Mary Gorman
Operations Manager, STEM4REAL
“STEM4Real is excited to bring solution-minded educators with Climate Generation to brainstorm ways we can positively impact climate change using a socially just lens, #4Real! STEM4Real is focused on ensuring that STEM is a possibility for every student, no matter their background. Our mission is to ensure that the planet exists to ‘house’ our beautiful students, so we must tackle environmental justice and science, technology, engineering, and math to fully address climate change.”
Jill Watson
Educational Resources Coordinator, STEM4REAL
“I am excited to work with like-minded educators to bring climate justice to the fore in their classrooms and schools! Nature helps me stay positive and grounded, so I know being part of this amazing group will enhance what nature is doing to me through collaboration and connection with an amazing teacher!”
Dr.. Lina Bakshi McClain
CEO, STEM4REAL
“I am excited to work with educators to harness a sense of belonging in the classroom through our Connect-Create-Cultivate STEM4Real framework. Being a part of this summer institute will fill all of my “C” buckets especially when we discuss environmental justice in relation to climate change.”
Samara Hamza
Program Director, KEEP
“I’m excited to collaborate with educators who are passionate about integrating climate change education because it’s never too late to take action! Working together as we build resilient professional networks will give us the strength and stamina we need to carry the light of hope as we inspire and inspire a radical change in how energy is sourced and distributed in society.”
Jenna Smith
Resource Specialist, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education
“I am excited to work alongside educators at the intersection of climate data, conversations, stories and solutions. It is my hope that educators can return to their communities with the skills and tools to create hope in their students and inspire them to take action for a more equitable and sustainable future.”
Victoria Rydberg Nania
Environmental Education and Service Learning Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Education
“I am passionate about helping teachers connect, explore, and participate in climate education. Climate education fits into every classroom, and a place-based approach to this learning allows students to apply concepts in their own community which increases engagement and develops future leaders!”