By Aubrey Nelson, NHEEP
In a world that can feel rather grim at times, especially as a teacher (in my case I’m a climate educator for NH and VT Energy Education Program), I want to tell you a bit about inspiration, energy and action…. And how we can cultivate more of it.
Last night I was meeting with a group of educators from across the state who have woven project-based learning into their curriculum, including a teacher in Gorham, NH. Her students are working to make their town more pedestrian and bike-friendly by redesigning cross-walks after a woman was killed last year crossing Main Street because of low visibility and walkability.
Another group of students is experimenting with how microalgae can improve air quality (reducing CO2 and increasing O2) in the school building, and wants to continue to experiment with their research outside of class time to make other products like bio-plastics.
At White Mountains Regional High School, a group of students explored how energy and climate change are related through hands-on investigations and NHEEP equipment. They then led an effort to change all of their school building’s lighting over to LEDs through a USDA grant, and they’re now working to acquire solar electricity generation on their roof.
Elementary students are using trail cameras to investigate wildlife and considering a native planting project to reduce flooding risks and restore riparian ecosystems.
A multi-aged math class is working to investigate heat loss and fuel costs, and to weatherize the trailer that serves as their classroom.
A teacher in Pelham who attended our Summer Institute is working to weave methane digestion into her ecology unit, joining a growing list of school groups across the state tackling composting, removing plastics from their cafeterias, or food waste reduction or diversion programs in their schools.
What do they all have in common? They are tackling the climate crisis with local and hopeful solutions. They are achieving meaningful, interdisciplinary learning while empowering youth to be engaged and active community members. They are “building a deep understanding of energy and climate through education, inspiring and empowering people to take action for increased sustainability in our communities, economy and environment”: the very mission of the NH and VT Energy Education Program (NHEEP/VEEP).
For over 45 years our non-profit organization has offered hands-on, evidence-based and engaging programs to support energy and climate learning for students and teachers, and we’ve expanded to include community workshops for families and adults.
And as we continue to follow best educational practice, research and experience both indicate that the most effective learning is project-based and authentic. It happens when education is centered at the intersection of what students need to learn (everything from empathy to literacy), what brings them joy, and what needs doing in the world. This specific framing comes from our adaptation of Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Climate Venn Diagram, and it has led our organization to work hard with teachers and students to make school a place where we “figure out” and “do things about” problems, rather than passively “learning about” them.
If more (or dare I say all?) educators spend as much time as possible teaching at the intersection of these three lenses, we will empower a generation of joyful, skilled changemakers. Let’s bring the ‘real world’ projects into classrooms, or better yet, expand the walls of our classrooms outward to include our communities.
NHEEP is here to help! And it doesn’t matter if you teach science or math or social studies or Spanish or PE or pottery; this intersection is applicable. Kids in any grade can be working to make the world better, even if they’re not yet old enough to grasp the concept of climate change. And what a powerful dose of energy, inspiration and innovation young people will bring to finding and implementing the solutions we so desperately need. So, what can we do about it, together?