Every June, educators from across Colorado and the broader Rocky Mountain Region come together at Western Colorado University for the Teacher Institute. Sarah Johnson, of Wild Rose Education has been teaching graduate courses each summer since 2017. We’d love for you to join us this year!  

 

Becoming a climate literacy educator is a journey. The new Colorado Seal of Climate Literacy graduation endorsement was passed by the state legislature in May 2024. Now, schools have an opportunity to adopt this and make a commitment to developing climate literate students and ultimately, communities. Climate literacy is an understanding of how the climate system works, how human actions influence climate, and how climate influences people and other parts of the Earth system. This is important in Colorado because people who understand the processes, causes, and effects of climate change are better able to assess evidence and claims about evidence, discuss options to manage risks and take well-informed actions.

 

This course will inspire educators to help their students become climate-literate people who understand Earth’s climate system and options to address human-caused climate change, recognize credible information about climate change and know where to find it, communicate about climate change in accurate and effective ways, and make informed decisions related to climate change.

 

In this course, you will combine scientific concepts and mechanisms of climate change with human experiences, storytelling, climate justice, and collective action. You will explore effective strategies to teach climate literacy in your classrooms, focusing on climate stories, an understanding of climate science, climate justice, and the observation of landscape changes over time. Participants will utilize accessible tools and Colorado data to enhance their skills and perspectives on incorporating climate literacy into their teaching. The course will also include walk-throughs in local parks and public spaces.

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Here are the details: 

• When: Monday - Wednesday June 9-11, 2025; 8am-6pm each day
   

• Where: Western Colorado University, Gunnison Colorado
   

• Who: Educators seeking graduate credit
   

• Earn 2 graduate credits at a 40% discount of typical tuition
   

• On campus housing available 
   

• Register and all the details here