Education & Training

Educating & Training
the Next Generation of Scientists & Managers
for Climate Change Adaptation

The Climate Science Centers (CSCs) and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) are committed to supporting young and early career scientists and managers in learning about and conducting research on the climate change impacts to fish and wildlife, developing skills in science communications, user interactions, and stakeholder engagement, and developing a network of peers to support their career development. This commitment is carried out through various programs across the country targeted at undergraduate and graduate students, Ph.D. candidates, and post doctoral researchers. 

 

2014 Climate Boot Camp ParticipantsOngoing CSC Fellowship Programs: Every year, each of the Climate Science Centers supports a group of fellows who conduct research that aligns with the mission of the CSC network. Through these programs, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are able to broaden their network of fellow scientists and managers and receive support to pursue their research interests. 

Early Career Climate Forum: The Early Career Climate Forum (ECCF) is a group of early career scientists, managers and others working at the science management interface on climate change issues. The intention of this online community is to be a science-based, neutral venue for communication, collaboration, and professional development for members and supporters, primarily those affiliated with the Climate Science Centers, and to be an accessible outlet, forging bridges between people who study climate and its social-ecological impacts, with others who wish to learn about climate science.

Northwest Climate Boot Camp: The Northwest Climate Science Center's (NW CSC) Climate Bootcamp is an annual opportunity for graduate students and early career professionals from universities, Tribes, state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to spend a week in a rural location to improve their climate science knowledge and skills. Through carefully-planned field trips, skill-building exercises and classroom activities, Climate Boot Camp Fellows deepen their understanding of basic climate science, science communication and the science-policy interface. 

Girls on Ice Participants on Glacier

South Central Undergraduate Minority Internship Program: The South Central Climate Science Center (SC CSC) offers an undergraduate summer internship opportunity for students of underrepresented minorities interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Interns are involved in hands-on activities related to climate research that allow them to see the direct impacts of climate variability and change on forest ecosystems in Oklahoma, coastal areas in Louisiana, and the Texas Hill Country. 

Northeast Fellows Retreat: This annual retreat for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is hosted by the Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC). Students gather to share their research, meet with natural resource managers, develop interdisciplinary connections and collaborations, and learn about climate impacts to local ecosystems and communities. 

Southeast Global Change Fellows: The Southeast Climate Science Center supports approximately 15 fellows each academic year who are interested in multi-disciplinary research related to climate and global change. In addition to receiving financial, scientific, and professional development support throughout the year, fellows are required to participate in several formal courses on climate science and structured decision making.

Girls on Ice - Alaska: Girls on Ice Alaska is a tuition-free science, mountaineering, camping, and art instruction program for high school girls. The Alaska Cliamte Science Center (AK CSC) is a primary supporter of the program which takes place on Alaska’s Gulkana Glacier—one of two USGS benchmark glaciers in Alaska. The program provides a unique educational wilderness adventure to girls who may not otherwise have such an opportunity.

NCCWSC Science to Action Fellowship: The intent of this fellowship experience with the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) is to expose students to the NCCWSC/CSC program and also to support them in developing a policy-relevant product related to the impacts of climate change on fish and/or wildlife resources. The fellowship focuses on putting science into action, applying scientific research directly to decision making about natural resources.

 

 

Images on Page: 
Top: Participants at the 2014 Northwest Climate Science Center's Climate Boot Camp
Bottom: Mountaineering instructor Cece Mortenson (center) explains the formation of glacier crevasses to participants Katie Clarke (Tagish, Yukon) and Tziporah Lax (Anchorage, AK).