From Mount Rainier to the Pacific Coast: Fostering Resilient Climate Leaders Communities, and Coastal Ecosystems

1. From Mt. Rainier to the Pacific Coast:
Fostering Resilient Climate Leaders, Communities, and Coastal Ecosystems
Chrissy Webb
Nisqually River Education Project
Washington Service Corps Member

2. Nisqually River Education Project
Mission:
Provide students service-learning, science-
based projects to link Washington's learning
standards with local environmental issues,
inspiring stewardship of the Nisqually
Watershed and the world.

3. Summer
Institute for
Teachers
Climate Resiliency
Fellows
Action Projects
for
Community
Resilience
Climate Resilient
Youth Leadership
Programs
Fostering Resilient
Climate Leaders,
Communities, and
Coastal Ecosystems

6. Target Audiences
2nd-12th grade teachers and students in South Puget Sound
communities in Western Washington
• Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Chehalis tribal communities
• Natural resources-based regional economy (logging, fishing,
agriculture)
• 5 counties
• 6 watersheds

7. Summer Institute for Teachers
Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest
Oceans, Sea Level Rise, and Ocean Acidification (2016)
Mountains, Glaciers, Forests, and Freshwater (2017)
Urban Environments, Flooding, and Sea Level Rise (2018)

8. Impacts and Outcomes of SIfT
• Increases in knowledge of and confidence in teaching about climate
change
• Expected: 75 teachers over 3 years
• Actual: 89 unique participants over 3 years
• 127 teachers over 3 years
“The field trips and great speakers just make these sessions so rich and
applicable to the real world.”
Teacher participant

9. Climate Resiliency Fellows
• Quarterly meetings
• Free clock hours
• Engage with local scientists and experts
• Receive funding for trips and projects
• Get support to take action and involve
students
• 33 participants over 3 years

10. NOAA Resources
• NW Fisheries Science Center
• Office for Coastal Management
• Education and Outreach Coordinator and Education
Specialist
• Data in the Classroom
• CoCoRaHS
• Climate Literacy Principles
• Climate.gov
• Beat the Uncertainty Game
• Alliance for Climate Education
• And many more!

11. Climate Resiliency Youth Leadership
Program
• 4 day immersive program
• Carbon sequestration in forests
• Snow & glacier water storage
• Field research and presentations
• Expected: 140 students in 3 programs
• Actual: 279 students in 1 program

13. “We’ve been talking, reading, and watching movies about climate change all
year; I really get it now.”
High school participant at MRI

14. Action Projects for Community
Resilience

15. “This type [real world, hands-on] of learning just does not exist in the pre-written
curriculum guides, so I was grateful for my administration’s support and the help of
community members to unleash 5th graders’ out-of-the-box thinking about an
important topic.”
Amelia Donahey, White Pass Elementary

16. “The best way to get
kids involved in climate
science is to root their
understanding at a place
of wonder and magic like
Mount Rainier…
Let’s take our students to these places,
let’s teach them how scientists study
these places and let’s empower them to
do something to protect these places.”
Matthew Phillipy, Marshall Middle School

20. Action Projects for Climate Resiliency

21. Challenges
For teachers:
• Time and scheduling conflicts
• Funding
• Administrative support
• Integration with established standards
• Teaching about climate change without
depressing or overwhelming

22. Challenges
For coordinators:
• Bus scheduling!
• Leadership and political conflicts
• Social media campaign
• Limited resources
• School participation
• Overburdened teachers

24. Contact Us!
Sheila Wilson
Nisqually River Education Project
Program Director
Sheila@nisquallyriver.org
Chrissy Webb
Nisqually River Education Project
Washington Service Corps member
Chrissy@nisquallyriver.org
Emily McCartan
Nisqually River Foundation
Program Coordinator
Emily@nisquallyriver.org
nisquallyriver.org