What is NOAA Climate Stewards?

The NOAA Climate Stewards Education Project (CSEP) provides formal and informal educators working with elementary through university age students with sustained professional development, collaborative tools, and support to build a climate-literate public actively engaged in climate stewardship. CSEP also provides support for educators to develop and execute climate stewardship (mitigation and/or adaptation) projects with their audiences to increase understanding of climate science and take practical actions to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Read about CSEP educator's stewardship projects

In the Spring 2016 issue of the education journal, The Earth Scientist, CSEP educators share their stories, innovations, and resources you can incorporate into your education setting. Some articles have links to background resources, supporting materials, and student worksheets you can download and adapt. We hope you enjoy this special NOAA Climate Stewards edition of The Earth Scientist!

How do I apply to the Stewardship Community?

Applications to join the 2017 CSEP Stewardship Community are open until midnight, November 20, 2016. Applications require the submission of a brief climate stewardship action project proposal. Project proposals are NOT reviewed for funding at the time of application. If accepted, participants will work with a Stewardship Action Project Peer Review Group to refine their proposals which may be submitted for funding of up to $2000.00. Accepted proposals will be funded for the 2017/2018 academic year.

For more information download this document and application template prior to applying.

Click here to apply to the CSEP Stewardship Community.

To join the CSEP Education Community and receive information about CSEP activities and opportunities sign up for our Project Listserv.

A Climate Stewardship Action Project is...

A climate stewardship action project must involve action based behaviorals focused on the mitigation of or adaptation to climate change. The IPCC defines climate change mitigation as, "A human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases" and climate change adaptation as, "The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects."*

Climate change mitigation generally involves engaging in activities that reduce the production of human generated greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. energy reduction/conservation in homes and transportation, recycling, etc. or increasing sinks of carbon dioxide i.e. reforestation, planting regionally appropriate gardens, etc. Climate change adaptation involves making changes in our environment or the way we do things to respond to changes in climate i.e. habitat restoration, planting regionally appropriate gardens, establishing regionally appropriate pollinator habitats, birdhouses, etc.

The following are some examples of successful climate stewardship action projects:

Student Anti-Idling Campaign: Service Learning in Deed
The Polar Bear Challenge: Local Impact on a Global Issue
The Biggest Reducer: A Lesson in Waste Reduction
Biochar for Carbon Sequestration: Investigation and Outreach

*Glossary/Definition IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) Working Group III Mitigation of Climate Change

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View our Webinars

The following are select archives of the free monthly webinars given by Scientists, Communicators and Educators to the CSEP Education Community. Want to attend upcoming presentations? Sign up to our list serve to receive invitations to future events. Webinars are usually scheduled for the first Monday of the month from 7:30 - 9:00 pm Eastern Time.

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More of What We Do

Disseminating Climate Change Information: It's Kids' Stuff!
(Kottie – Elementary School Teacher, Blauvelt, New York)

After learning about climate change, 5^th graders in New York were anxious to disseminate their important findings. They knew they needed the help of adults. But many adults don't know how to talk to kids about this important topic. "It's too scary," some say. "How do I even begin?" others lament. So they helped their teacher write an article about how to talk to children about climate change. These 11-year-olds know what they're talking about! Last fall they researched the Earth's changing climate, evaluated and synthesized information to write essays, participated in teleconferences with students in South Africa who were also studying climate change, and took steps toward mitigating global warming by recycling and reducing their energy use. Their teacher and the students, hope you'll spread the word.

Click here to read the Article Talking to Children about Climate Change.

Climate Change Impacts on Wetlands: Education and Action
(Jacob — Elementary School Teacher, Blauvelt, N.Y.)

Elementary school students learned about climate change, then studied one issue effecting their local environment: production and disposal of plastic bags. Students took a “Plastic Bag Reduction Pledge,” to reduce their plastic bags use over time.  They held a plastic bag drive, collecting all the bags the school community throws out in a month. Each week, they calculated the weight, number and carbon footprint of the bags and reported their data to the school community to see if this impacted plastic bag use in subsequent weeks.

Schoolyard Garden
(Kathryn — Elementary School Teacher, Columbia, Md.)

Elementary school students learned about their effect on the environment through a lesson called “What is Your Carbon Footprint?” The students started a vermicomposting bin to minimize their lunch waste. They also created a school garden to show the importance of plants to the environment, and how local farming and food consumption helps decrease carbon dioxide.

Ocean and Climate Literacy at Hale Kula
(Richard — Asst. Professor, Oahu, Hawaii)

Elementary school students and their teachers learned about ocean acidification and its effect on indigenous sea life. Students built a “cultivation station” to observe the effects of ocean acidification on the growth and reproduction of local sea urchins, and worked to reduce their carbon footprints using an online carbon footprint calculator.

Your Response to Climate Change Can Save You Money!
(Lisa — Professor, New York, N.Y.)

College students recorded information about their energy usage and expenses, and developed individual plans to reduce their carbon footprints and increase their savings.  Students “journaled” their activities, graphing their data to visualize their successes or failures. After one month, students were asked to look at their data, reflect on what they learned about climate change, and determine whether this affected their attitude toward reducing their carbon footprint and saving money.

Links & Downloads