Climate Teacher Ed Collaborative

Climate Teacher Ed Collaborative

The Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment is partnering with the University of Washington’s Institute for Science and Math Education (ISME) to incorporate climate science education into pre-service teacher learning. The Climate Institute created and offered climate literacy instruction to Gonzaga students in training to become teachers (pre-service teacher candidates).

In collaboration with Dr. Jonas Cox and Dr. John Traynor in the Gonzaga School of Education, the Climate Institute is working to help to incorporate climate education into pre-service curriculum. The goal of this work is to give  Gonzaga pre-service teachers the confidence and resources to thoughtfully incorporate climate science in their future classrooms.

Projects

During the academic year, pre-service teachers received climate change lectures that focus on climate science basics, climate education pedagogy, and climate science epistemology. Students in the School of Education had the opportunity to partner with On Track Academy, a local Spokane Public School District High School. On Track and Gonzaga students attended two field trips to a local Waste to Energy facility and to a large-scale composting facility. The goal of the field trips was to introduce students to food waste and its contributions to climate change.

The Climate Institute also partners with the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center to bring students to Gonzaga University’s campus. Pre-service teachers at the School of Education teach fourth graders about climate science while engaging in hands-on learning activities outdoors.

Young students play educational games on lawn
Gonzaga undergraduate teacher candidate plays a game of greenhouse tag to teach 4th graders about the greenhouse effect.

 

Our Partners

West Valley Outdoor Learning Center Logo

West Valley Outdoor Learning Center

The West Valley Outdoor Learning Center (WVOLC) whose mission is to provide opportunities for young people to investigate and learn about the natural world around them.

Gonzaga School of Education logo

School of Education

The Mission of the School of Education is to prepare socially responsive and discerning practitioners to serve their community and profession.

University of Washington Institute for Science and Mathematics Education logo

Institute for Science and Math Education

The UW Institute for Science and Mathematics Education has created partnerships to envision, cultivate, and study equity-focused educational models and practices in STEM education.