Introduction
The Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment believes it is important to acknowledge the origins and inspiration that have shaped the Climate Literacy Project. Below is information on what climate literacy is, the project's history, and on-going partnerships that contribute to the project.
What is Climate Literacy?
According to the 2024 Climate Literacy Guide, climate literacy is an understanding off how the climate system works, how human actions influence climate, and how climate influences people and other parts of the Earth system. The Gonzaga Climate Literacy Project seeks to help teachers and students develop a foundational scientific understanding of the complex workings of our climate, what has caused it to change in the past, the most likely causes of its present changes, and the likely global, regional, and local impacts of a changing climate. Building on that scientific knowledge, the Climate Literacy Project invites reflection on the larger cultural, economic, and ethical issues related to climate change and the challenge of engaging the topic. We encourage teachers and students to “make it local and keep it hopeful” and offer concrete pedagogies and lessons for doing so. More...
A climate-literate person:
- understands the essential principles of Earth's climate system and the options to address human-caused climate change;
- recognizes credible information about climate change and knows where to find it;
- communicates about climate change in accurate and effective ways; and
- is able to make informed decisions related to climate change.
Students Demand Climate Education
The Spokane Public Schools Student Advisory Council on Climate Change (SAC3) was appointed to advise the Spokane School Board, provide student perspectives on climate education, and work alongside the School Board and district administrators to incorporate adequate and updated climate curriculum in all grade levels. In 2021, SAC3 surveyed students in grades 5-12 on the state of climate education in Spokane. Click the picture to learn more.
(Click image to learn more.)
Science in Action!
The Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment and the Climate Literacy Project want to acknowledge the foundational work of the Science in Action! program for their contributions to our professional learning workshops, the model of the Climate Literacy Fellows program, and significant collaboration on the Fellow's lesson plans. The Climate Literacy Fellows program is inspired by and in part modeled after the Gonzaga Science in Action! program. In particular, we thank Science in Action!’s program coordinator, Jiana Stover, for her generous assistance. Jiana and SIA! were instrumental in establishing the Fellows program and developing the original lessons used by the Fellows. They also helped develop and facilitate the first professional development workshop hosted by the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment. We owe the SIA! program a debt of gratitude.
Members of the Gonzaga Biology Department and the Science in Action! program also tested and reviewed the kits used in the Climate Literacy Fellows work. We thank them for their time, attention to detail, and honest review of curricular materials that have made a substantial impact on our program and the lives of students in Spokane.