A staggering 55% of teachers surveyed admitted they do not cover climate change in their classrooms, citing reasons such as it being outside their subject area, lack of materials, or feeling inadequately informed about the subject. In stark contrast, a resounding 80% of parents in the United States express their support for teaching climate science in schools.

As a dedicated member of the statewide ClimeTime network, NSEA plays a pivotal role in equipping teachers with the necessary tools and resources to foster climate science understanding among students while addressing pertinent issues affecting Washington communities.

The ClimeTime initiative is meticulously executed in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in collaboration with Northwest ESD 189, serving 35 districts across Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties. Together with our esteemed partners, including ReSources for Sustainable Communities, Wild Whatcom, and Common Threads Farm, we are committed to serving the educators of Whatcom County.

Through comprehensive teacher training programs, we actively promote place-based, outdoor learning that imparts resilience, respect, and a deep appreciation for nature. These initiatives seamlessly align with state teaching standards, particularly the Next Generation Science Standards. Our overarching objective is to bolster educators' confidence and equip them with a wealth of resources to effectively teach the complex subject of climate science, fostering environmental stewardship along the way.

At the heart of NSEA’s mission is the unwavering belief that education is the impetus to changing behavior. We assist our partners in providing essential professional development opportunities and help create science-based, classroom-ready curriculum materials that seamlessly integrate into existing lesson plans, all while aligning with state standards. NSEA’s aim is to empower educators with the tools they need to engage their students in meaningful conversations about climate change, ultimately cultivating a generation of informed and environmentally conscious citizens.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

For the 2023-2024 school year, our ClimeTime offerings will consist of five in-person workshops offered throughout the year. Two workshops will build on the partners combined reputations for offering programs in schoolyard settings. the other three will dig deeper into place-based phenomena building on the individual organizations’ strengths: watershed and salmon and the role of circular economies in Whatcom County.

ClimeTime: Hope & Resilience

Bring climate hope and resilience into the classroom!
3 STEM clock hours, 1 Equity hour, $100 stipend*

Calling all Whatcom County educators for grades 3 – 12 who want to connect real-world solutions to climate change!

Questions? Contact: Priscilla Brotherton, Priscillab@re-sources.org

ClimeTime: Teaching Outside

Teach for the climate by incorporating outdoor learning experiences!
2 STEM clock hours, receive a $50 stipend upon implementation of an outdoor lesson.

Calling all Whatcom County elementary teachers and staff serving grades K-5 looking to integrate the outdoors into everyday lessons. Our Teaching Outside workshops are designed to provide teachers and other education staff with the basic skills and tools to implement outdoor experiential and climate-related activities on school sites, in local parks, and in urban settings. Each workshop is stand-alone.

Questions? Contact: Nicola Follis, Nicola@wildwhatcom.org

Funding for these workshops is provided by the Washington State Legislature through the ClimeTime proviso.

CLIMETIME PARTNERS