CLIMATE LITERACY PARTNERSHIP IN THE SOUTHEAST (CLIPSE): A FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION NEEDS IN THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES

The Climate Literacy Partnership in the Southeast (CLiPSE, http://CLiPSE-project.org) funded through the National Science Foundation Climate Change Education Partnership program, dedicated to improving climate literacy in the Southeastern United States (SE US). By promoting science-based formal and informal educational resources, CLiPSE works through a diverse network of key partner organizations in the SE US to conduct effective public dialogues that address diverse audiences and support learning about climate, climate change, and its impact on human and environmental systems. The CLiPSE project successfully created partnerships with more than fifty key stakeholders, including agriculture, education, leisure, and religious organizations, along with culturally diverse communities.

This presentation will explain the CLiPSE model for reaching key publics who hold traditional ideologies typically perceived as incompatible with climate change science. We will share the results of our interactions with the leaders of our partnering organizations, their knowledge, perceptions, needs, and input in crafting effective messages for their audiences, through addressing both learners’ affective and cognitive domains.

For the formal education sector – K-12 classrooms and homeschool audience – survey research identified needs and concerns related to effective teaching of climate change and informed development of a searchable database of climate change education resources. Resources from the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (http://cleanet.org), and other sources, were aligned with the science education standards (grades 6-12) in the southeast (MS, AL, AK, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC, SC, TN, and TX). This increases the likelihood of resource implementation in the classroom.

For the informal education sector, CLiPSE utilized an open discussion and learning forum aimed to promote critical thinking and civil conversation about climate change. CLiPSE also conducted an online, moderated, author-attended book study, discussing the thoughts and ideas contained in the work, “Green Like God,” by Jonathan Merritt.