hands-on educational program for their school district’s 4th grade students to learn about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. They continue to vol- unteer to teach this program in the district’s elementary schools. All of these programs include information on the scientific basis of climate change and how scientists are researching and modeling its impacts.
Results: Fruits of Our Labor
Over two years, 104 youths attended the two-day Sum- mit. A total of 15 Rutgers University scientists presented to the groups. We have evaluated our students’ perception of climate change by asking them an open-ended question on how they feel about climate change and what they think they can do about it. In 2010, 80% of the students reported their fundamental perception of climate change changed as a result of the Summit, and 99% indicated that climate change was an important issue to address. 97% of partici- pants indicated they improved their understanding of the science concepts. All students agreed in their follow-up survey that they could make a positive impact on the global climate by reducing their carbon footprint and encouraging others (family, school, and friends) to do the same. Students reported significant improvements in their ability to work as part of a team and in adult-youth partnerships, to plan and organize, be leaders, serve their community, and develop plans of action. Overall, scientists, teachers and students all report the experience as life-changing and enlightening.
Looking Ahead
While we develop a program guide for conducting climate change summits elsewhere, the New Jersey 4-H program is seeking to include more schools in the Climate and Environ- mental Teen Summit. Our hope is that many more Climate Change Ambassadors will soon be sharing their knowledge and experiences with other students as well as members of their communities. These young people surely will be among “the one million new scientists and one million new ideas” envisioned by the national 4-H program.
Janice McDonnell is the 4-H Science Engineering & Tech- nology Agent and Associate Professor in the Department of 4-H Youth Development, School of Environmental and Bio- logical Sciences/NJAES, Rutgers University in New Bruns- wick, New Jersey. She is also the Director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence Networked Ocean World (COSEE NOW), where marine microbiologist, Dr. Carrie Ferraro is the Education Program Coordinator. Both Laura Bovitz and Rachel Lyons are county 4-H Agents in New Jersey, as well as Assistant Professors in the Department of 4-H Youth Development, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences/NJAES at Rutgers. Dr. David Robinson is a Professor of Geography Department, and the New Jersey State Climatologist, Center for Environmental Prediction, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences/NJAES at Rutgers. Please feel free to contact the authors via
mcdonnel@marine.Rutgers.edu for sample copies of agendas and evaluation instruments.
VISIT
www.greenteacher.com/contents93 for an example of a Plan of Action developed by the environmental club of one high school. It includes the goals, timelines and resources needed to complete the project.
Notes
1. Nationally, 4-H serves 6 million children ages 8-18 in 3,150 counties across the United States, including at-risk youth, with a history of strengthening essential life skills. Our hope is to encourage and support a new generation of scientists through the 4-H One Million New Scientists One Million New Ideas campaign. Our CEC program focuses both on understanding the science of climate change and breaking through what can be perceived as insurmountable challenges of develop strategies for mitigation of, and adaptation to, the conse- quences of climate change.
References
Eccles, J., and Gootman, J.A., ed., Community programs to promote youth development, National Academy Press, 2002.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” IPCC, 2007.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., and Light, A., “Global Warming’s Six Americas: An Audience Segmentation Analysis,” Center for American Progress, 2009, <
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/6americas.html>.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science, NOAA and U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009.
Roseman, J. E., and De Boer, G., “Communicating and Learning About Climate Change. An Abbreviated Guide for Teaching Climate Change,” in American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Project 2061, AAAS, 2007, <
http://www.aaas.org/news/press_room/climate_change/mtg_200702/ climate_change_guide_2061.pdf>.
Rossett, A., Training Needs Assessment, Educational Technology Publications, 1987.
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