Climate Education, Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Climate Education will prepare teachers and non-formal educators to integrate climate science and related issues into their teaching. Climate change is arguably the most pressing issue society faces, and educators need to be equipped with both relevant content and effective methods for discussing climate issues and potential solutions with students and the general public. The program will provide PK-12 teachers, most of whom will already be in the classroom, with development opportunities that go beyond initial teacher preparation; and it will train people in the non-formal education sector – working at nature centers, or museums, or the park service – to use their interactions with the public to raise climate awareness. Rather than promoting a standardized climate curriculum, which can often be surface-level, the program will stress a “place-based” approach, with climate change and solutions framed in terms of relevant issues in a teacher’s given