The Climate Science Alliance team presented a workshop at the 2019 National Adaptation Forum in Madison, Wisconsin on how to utilize art, storytelling, and science to empower climate resilient communities.
Our communities comprise the key to effectively integrate adaptive management techniques and build climate resilience. Climate Kids, a program of the Climate Science Alliance and the primary focus of our community engagement effort, is a multi-generational collaborative that supports K-12 youth education on climate resiliency through hands-on science activities, storytelling, field trips, and art. We nurture the budding scientists and stewards in students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with activities that demonstrate local climate impacts in the form of ocean acidification, sea level rise, drought, coastal storms, and temperature extremes. Since 2014, the Climate Kids program has successfully inspired over 100,000 students and trained thousands of formal and informal educators on consistent climate messaging. Through strategic partnerships with climate scientists and qualified educators, this program encourages curiosity about the natural world while providing the tools necessary to take educated action on how to protect our community and planet now.
During this interactive workshop, held at the 2019 National Adaptation Forum on April 24th in Madison, Wisconsin, attendees were introduced to facilitation techniques and lessons on how to effectively deliver climate messages and activities in their communities. The workshop began with a hands-on science activity focused on the carbon cycle where attendees demonstrated how carbon moves through the global ecosystem, both prior to and post Industrial Revolution. Attendees were then introduced to the Climate Science Alliance and our community engagement offerings including Art and Community and Climate Kids. Alliance Deputy Director, Alex Warneke, presented the Alliance’s model for connecting regional science to our community and led participants though the San Diego Wildlife, Climate Change and You! Regional Impacts activities. Through this experience the Climate Science Alliance was able to continue to broaden and support dynamic climate engagement efforts in our community and beyond.
About the National Adaptation Forum: The National Adaptation Forum convenes adaptation practitioners from around the country that are focused on moving beyond adaptation awareness and planning to adaptation action. The Forum includes opportunities for professional development through formal trainings, facilitated practitioner presentations, and community building. This event affords attendees the opportunity to learn more about how to make their work climate smart, share what they have learned with others, and develop a stronger network to be climate savvy in all that they do.
To learn more about the National Adaptation Forum, please visit: https://www.nationaladaptationforum.org/about
To learn more about the Climate Kids program, please visit: https://www.climatekids.org
Programs and materials presented at this event were made possible by support of the California Coastal Commission (Whale Tail Grant). Thank you!
