Climate Change

Heat. Fires. Floods. Schools are already suffering the consequences of climate change. And, experts say, they must take an active role in efforts to address it.
- Wildfire Haze and Poor Air Quality: Here's How Schools Are RespondingChildren are particularly at risk from smoky skies, forcing school leaders to decide whether to cancel school or take less drastic measures.
- Student Well-Being The School Year Started Off Hot. Experts Say It Wasn't a FlukeExperts recommend that schools look seriously at HVAC overhauls, but also shorter-term measures to fend off and prepare for extreme heat.Student Well-Being Q&A How Teachers Can Help Younger Students Deal With Climate AnxietyWith natural disasters abounding, even young children can suffer from climate anxiety. Here's how to make them feel more empowered.Science U.S. Teachers Lag Behind Global Peers in Teaching About Sustainability. Here's WhyMany say they want materials and supports to help them weave topics like clean energy across subjects.Student Well-Being What Educators Need to Know About Schools and Hot WeatherAs record-setting high temperatures become the new normal, schools struggle to keep their students cool.Budget & Finance Schools' Insurance Costs Are Soaring—And Climate Change Isn't the Only ReasonDistricts are seeing higher premiums thanks to a surge in natural disasters and other challenges that make insurance companies wary.Science Opinion How to Teach Students About Climate Change—Without Giving Them Eco-AnxietyClimate science education is essential, but the wrong approach can damage young people’s mental health, warn two students. Here are 4 tips.Teaching Calculating Carbon Footprints Is a Popular Exercise. But Is It Teaching the Right Lesson?Some worry the assignments obscure the role that industry and manufacturing play in global warming and puts the onus on students.Professional Development A Year of PD: One District's Strategy for Training Teachers on Climate ChangeTeachers in the Bloomingdale, Ill., district get a salary premium for attending a yearlong PD program on climate change.School & District Management Disrupted Learning and Health Woes: Climate Change Impacts Educators Should Brace ForSevere heat, flooding, storms, and diminished air quality will pose challenges that students, parents, and schools will all confront.Curriculum Audio Climate Change Is Tough to Teach. 5 Ways to Approach ItListen to a conversation about how educators can approach teaching about climate change.Reading & Literacy 'The Lorax' Is a Constant in Classrooms. Does It Send the Right Message?Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is frequently taught in schools around Earth Day. But is it the best way to teach about today's changing climate?Curriculum Opinion Students Have Climate Anxiety. Here’s What Educators Need to Be Able to Help ThemTeachers and administrators want to help prepare students for a changing world. Three important steps can get them started.Science White Students Are Less Concerned About Climate Change Than Students of Color. Here's WhyNearly half of white teenagers said the threat of climate change hasn't affected their plans for the future.Science Rural Students Are More Skeptical of Climate Change. What Should Teachers Do?Nearly 8 in 10 U.S. teenagers agree with the scientific consensus that climate change is real and mainly caused by human activity.