SubjectToClimate, The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate and Resilience Education Task Force, and the American Museum of Natural History Host Event on New York State Climate Education as part of Climate Week NYC

American Museum of Natural History President M. Sean M. Decatur, who provided welcoming remarks for the panel discussion, said, “It was a great pleasure to host such a distinguished panel of educators, policymakers, and experts to discuss the future of climate education in New York State as part of the Museum’s Climate Week NYC activities. Climate education is one of our most pressing challenges—and one of the Museum’s top strategic priorities for the years ahead. It was inspiring to explore how we can work together to expand collaborative educational programs and professional learning opportunities around the climate crisis. We are grateful to our cohosts SubjectToClimate and the Climate and Resilience Education Task Force for such a stimulating and galvanizing event.” 

Expert Panel on Integrating Climate Change Education in New York Schools

The panel was moderated by Anya Kamenetz, author, speaker, former NPR Education correspondent, and advisor at The Aspen Institute and Climate Mental Health Network. Anya noted, “The UN and other global authorities agree that education is essential to fighting climate change; but at the same time, children are already being driven out of class by extreme weather all around the world. I'm excited to hear from education leaders at all levels about how New York can spearhead the movement for change.” Panelists included Joseph Henderson, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources; Rachel Arbor, New York Educator and recipient of the White House & EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators; Rosamond Kinzler, Senior Director of Science Education at the Museum; Meredith McDermott, Director of Energy & Sustainability at NYC Public Schools; and Sean McFadden, Science Chair at Eagle Academy for Young Men II and Co-Chair of the Climate Education Leadership Team. Linda Curtis-Bey, Senior Director of Education at the Museum, provided closing remarks.

Panelists shared highlights and successes they have experienced in engaging with climate education, while also remarking candidly on some of the obstacles educators face when trying to teach about climate change education in New York. Rachel Arbor noted, “I’ve heard from countless teachers who want to teach about climate change but don’t have the resources or Professional Development to make it a reality. The beauty of interdisciplinary climate education is that it enables teachers to use their existing curriculum as an entry point to environmental literacy. For example, reading environmental works and communicating environmental issues requires students to demonstrate skills driven by the ELA classroom. Recognizing the role history and government play in our relationship with the environment and taking civic action are rooted in a Social Studies framework. Analyzing population trends for an endangered species is possible because of Math content, and everything we know about our Science comes from nature. Environmental concepts are built into everything we learn and teach, we just need support to know where to look.” 

The discussion also addressed potential roles of institutions such as informal learning environments (i.e. museums), higher education institutions, policymakers, and NYC Public Schools in making widespread interdisciplinary climate education a reality in New York State. Emily Fano, the Director of Climate Resilience Education at the NWF, commented that “Climate education is finally being recognized as a critical climate solution. Climate-literate citizens support climate-friendly policies, choose climate-friendly careers, and reduce their personal carbon emissions. Several states, including neighboring New Jersey are already requiring interdisciplinary climate education across grades and content areas. Our coalition is working with state agencies to ensure that New York becomes a climate education leader. The New York Climate Education Hub fulfills a piece of our coalition’s platform by providing easy-to-find lessons and resources for teachers as well as professional learning opportunities-critical for increasing teacher content knowledge and confidence in the classroom.”

The energy and motivation around serving NY teachers and students with well-rounded climate education to enhance the state’s resilience in the face of climate change was palpable. In her closing remarks, Senior Director of Education at the Museum Linda Curtis-Bey built on that sentiment, stating,“If tonight’s conversation made one thing clear, it’s that education is one of our most powerful tools in this fight. It’s not just about teaching facts and figures; it’s about sparking curiosity, fostering understanding, and empowering the next generation of problem solvers and advocates.” 

 To access a recording of the panel discussion, click here.

About the New York Climate Education Hub

The New York Climate Education Hub was developed by nonprofit SubjectToClimate, in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and their CRETF in New York.  Resources from SubjectToClimate’s core platform are aligned to state teaching standards, and New York-specific educational content has been added to SubjectToClimate’s database of 2,600+ resources to ensure that New York educators have support to deliver place-based education to their students. With the backing of key institutions in New York, it’s clear that the New York Climate Education Hub will be a critical tool for educators across the state to incorporate climate education into their curriculum. 

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