Cultivate ACCESS Climate Resilience

Why Climate Education Matters

Climate change affects every part of life—cultural, economic, environmental, and social (Djoudi et al., 2016). That's why it's becoming more important than ever for students to learn about it, no matter their field of study. Climate education helps build scientific understanding, explains how governments address climate issues, and empowers people to take action (White et al., 2022).

In agricultural courses, climate education is especially critical for understanding how a changing climate impacts food and fiber systems (Malhi et al., 2021). Yet, despite its importance, only 42% of teachers include climate topics in their lessons (Kamenetz, 2019). This gap leaves many students frustrated by the lack of climate justice education in their classrooms, and they feel further discouraged by the inaction of policymakers (White et al., 2022). As a result, young people often turn to social media and their peers to learn about climate issues when these discussions are missing from the classroom (Trott et al., 2023; Wallis & Loy, 2021).

How Cultivate Resilience is Helping

Cultivate Resilience is working to fill this gap by working with teachers to design culturally responsive curriculum resources that focus on climate resilience and preparing students for the future workforce to foster an inclusive environment in STEM. By helping students develop critical thinking skills and personal agency, the program aims to empower the next generation to make informed decisions, build a climate-resilient future, and pursue STEM careers in agriculture.

• Introducing the topic of climate change in the context of agricultural systems can have a significant impact on real-world situations, especially when approached through a culturally sensitive lens to engage students from diverse backgrounds. As climate change and technological advancements continue to reshape the agriculture and food sectors, it is essential for these industries to attract and retain a diverse workforce with the necessary expertise and technical skills. Educators require adequate time, resources, and support to ensure effective instruction that prioritizes DEI principles. Cultivate Resilience aims to address educator needs by establishing an educator community of practice to co-create and deliver climate-resilient agriculture and natural resources education with a focus on the future of work through an equitable and inclusive lens.

The benefits to the teacher and the student

• The educator community of practice will address these challenges by co-creating educational resources and experiences that are: 
  1. Culturally responsive: centering cultural humility is essential for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments to address manifestations of implicit biases. 
  2. Climate resilience focused: access to high-quality STEM education and the opportunity to pursue tangible STEM employment opportunities to support understanding of climate change challenges and build agency in participating students will be embedded in the curriculum.
  3. Future of work cognizant: ensuring all interested parties from a variety of cultural perspectives and intersecting identities are included in creating the future of work and educational efforts to support learner participation in the future of work.
  4. Join an educator community of practice
  5. Develop culturally responsive climate resilience curriculum
  6. $5,000 stipend
  7. $300 of books and resources
  8. $250 for student field trips
• Students:
  • Cultivate Resilience high school students will be better prepared to face climate and future of work challenges after engaging with the curriculum and participating in the experiential learning activities.