GREAT LAKES CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE AND EDUCATION SYSTEMIC NETWORK

The overall goal of the Great Lakes Climate Change Science and Education Systemic Network project is to establish a coordinated national network of regionally- or thematically-based partnerships devoted to increasing the adoption of effective, high quality educational programs and resources related to the science of climate change and its impacts. This project will integrate the institutions and individuals engaged in climate science research, climate literacy research, and climate education activities within the Great Lakes region. The audience targeted by this project includes STEM educators, pre-service teachers, public and business stakeholders, as well as the public.

The key collaborators and team members are from Eastern Michigan University, the College of Exploration, the Geocognition Research Lab at Michigan State University, Cooperative Extension/4H Michigan State University, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ashland University (Ohio), RISA and the Graham Sustainability Institute, the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, and the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum.

The proposed systemic network will 1) advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training and learning through explicit partnering of educators, climate scientists and learning scientists; 2) broaden the participation of underrepresented groups by enhancing opportunities for populations within the Great Lakes region, many of whom have been significantly affected by both recent and long-standing economic downturns, and in terms of educational opportunities; 3) enhance the infrastructure for research and education through development and implementation of a Virtual Great Lakes Community platform; 4) broadly disseminate Great Lakes climate science through partnership with formal and informal education institutions; and 5) benefit society by partnering with academic, non-profit, and governmental bodies to influence climate change education and policy in the Great Lakes region.

This network will develop a regional strategic framework to guide future practices in education and to inform the broader impacts of climate scientists and learning scientists regionally and nationally.