Projects
Create a virtual, optimistic, solutions-based community extending beyond the zoo that promotes, inspires, and engages in climate change conversations and action.
Faith in Place and Covenant United Church of Christ (CUCC) joined forces with Connect to engage the 3,500-member African American community of the CUCC in understanding climate change and taking personal and collective responsibility to lessen its impact.
Gikinoo’wizhiwe Onji Waaban (Guiding for Tomorrow, or G-WOW) is a unique model for increasing climate change literacy for middle school to adult learners. G-WOW integrates the latest scientific research with traditional ecological knowledge and place-based evidence of how climate change is affecting traditional lifeways of the Lake Superior Ojibwe, and by extension people of all cultures. G-WOW is infused with Ojibwe language and cultural perspectives. The project’s service learning approach promotes community-level action to fight climate change, and the G-WOW model can be... read more
In our Culture of Climate Change expedition, Marathon Venture Academy (MVA) students studied the connection between culture and climate change. They explored the impact of climate change at the local, national and global levels through field work. They also had conversations with global climate experts about the science behind climate change, and recorded local observations related to changes in climate. During science investigations, they examined Wisconsin climate data and climate projections as they learned about greenhouse gasses and the greenhouse effect. Then they discussed why... read more
Project Exploration (PE) worked to create a pathway for minority middle school and high school students in Chicago Public Schools to learn about environmental science and climate change from scientists and engineers affiliated with civic institutions and environmental organizations. PE was able to accomplish this by using our Sisters4Science program—an afterschool program providing middle school girls an opportunity to experience STEM fields in a hands-on and interactive way with professionals who work in a variety of STEM fields—and by combining that structure with a curriculum provided... read more
Latino Earth Partnership is an initiative of the UW Arboretum Earth Partnership program that promotes collaboration between educators and Latino communities by engaging youth and families in culturally based ecological restoration. Environmental stewardship is integrated with culturally authentic resources, Spanish-language curriculum, and citizen science process skills like data collection, analysis, habitat restoration, and water stewardship. This initiative fosters understanding, sensitivity, skills, and participation in resolving environmental challenges.