The NCSCE is hosting a one-day conference on "Broadening Participation in Undergraduate Climate Education" at Harvey Mudd College on September 14th-15th 2023 starting at 4pm on the 14th. Deadline to submit proposals is June 23rd. Register here. Proposal Form
The world is on track for at least a 2℃ global average temperature increase by 2100 based on international agreements, pledges, and targets - and even optimistic scenarios of current pledges result in an estimated 1.8C of warming1, all despite the 2015 Paris agreement goal of keeping the global average temperature increase below 1.5℃ . The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released their 6th Assessment Report describing the impacts of warming beyond 1.5℃, which will touch every aspect of our lives. And yet K-12 education is only just beginning to adopt climate literacy into its standard curricula,2 and the inclusion of climate change in higher education, through core curricula, is lagging.3
Despite these shortcomings, there is a growing effort to expand climate education in higher education and to incorporate climate beyond the earth sciences. Faculty understand that, regardless of field, our graduates will inherit a personal and professional landscape that is fundamentally changed from the world today. Their education should prepare them for this new world.
This one-day conference will convene climate experts, teacher-scholars from other disciplines, and community partners to discuss the future of climate education for undergraduates. The goal of the conference is to expand the number of faculty involved in climate education and for those already involved to deepen their understanding of and appreciation for the strengths that multiple perspectives bring to addressing the challenges of climate. A theme throughout the conference will be broadening participation in climate education on our campuses and in our communities.
