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Jabari Walker, MCCC's Education, Communication and Outreach Co-chair speaking before the MD Board of Education on Feb. 27

ECO addressed the Maryland State Board of Education about the 2024 Climate Teach-In. 


Jabari Walker spoke with WBAL Channel 11 News which aired the Teach-In kickoff.




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Join the 2024 Maryland Climate Teach-In!

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We are honored to announce that Mary Kay Connerton, Maryland's Teacher of the Year (2023-24) is the Spokesperson for the 2024 Maryland Climate Teach-In!  

News Release Statewide Climate Teach-In Kickoff ​April 3, 2024​

The lobby doors at Annapolis High carry an inspiring message! 

Below, from left to right: MDE Secretary and MCCC Chair Serena McIlwain meets AHS students and teachers.

Mary Kay Connerton, Maryland Teacher of the Year and the 2024 Climate Teach-In spokesperson accepts gift of framed Governor's Proclamation of "Maryland Climate Education Week" from Chair McIlwain.

Advika Agarwal, co-founder and co-president of Compostology was o​ur impressive keynote speaker!


       


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What is the Maryland Climate Teach-in?

The Maryland Climate Teach-In is an annual we​ek of events focused on climate change education and solutions. It brings together educators, students, and community members to discuss this critical issue and empower people to act to mitigate the causes of climate change. 

The Teach-In was introduced in 2023 by the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, in conjunction with Bard College's Worldwide Climate Change Teach-In.  Watch the INTRO to the Worldwide Teach-In video.​  Based on strong interest and success in its first year, the Commission's Education, Communication, and Outreach Working Group is now spearheading the 2024 Teach-In and hopes to make it an annual event. The Commission formally recommended that the General Assembly declare the first week of April "Climate Education Week" in Maryland in perpetuity.  

Why participate?  ​

  • Start meaningful conversations about climate change
  • Connect climate science to real-world impacts and solutions
  • Inspire students and community members to get involved 

Who can participate?

  • Schools (primary, middle, high school, and higher ed)
  • Museums
  • Community organizations
  • Faith-based groups
  • Anywhere people come together!

How to host an event

We provide turnkey event models below to make planning easy:

​​Marketing Materials to spread the word!

Share the graphic and this page on social media to get more people involved! Let's make the 2024 Teach-In bigger in Maryland than anywhere! 

Suggested social media text:  

  • Join us to celebrate Maryland's Second Annual TEACH-IN to ring in Earth Month!  

  • Celebrate Climate Education with a Teach-In during the first week of Earth Month!  

  • Join us in celebrating Earth Month with a Climate Education Teach-In April 1-7.

  • We are joining Maryland's Second Annual Climate TEACH-IN in April.  Are you? 

  • ​We are planning to do xxxx as a Teach-In activity to celebrate Earth Month!  What are your plans? 



Lots of Resources to help you!

There are plenty of resources to be found for all grade levels and all ages, via the links below!  Check them out and​ choose one or a combination of idea​s that will work for your school, class, or group!​


CLEAN'S Educator Toolbox​​

Students building a small scale wind turbine

CLEAN is a nonprofit that supports all teachers with climate and energy
education, from the first-year teacher to the nature center field trip leader, to the veteran teacher wishing to stay up-to-date. Explore the many ways that CLEAN can support your teaching!



WILD HOPE is a new series of short digital videos that crisscross the globe and spotlight the changemakers and scientists who are restoring and protecting our natural world. This site includes Educator guides and so much more! 



Contact: Susan.Casey1@maryland.gov 













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The MD Commission on Climate Change is grateful to those who participated in the 2024 Climate Education Week Teach-In!

Towson University (17 projects)

Charles County Public Schools (7 schools)
     St. Charles High School
     Milton Somers Middle School
     Matthew Henson Middle School
     Arthur Mid​dleton Elementary School
     Henry E. Lackey High School
     Dr. Mudd Elementary School
     The Primary Day School
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (3)
     Annapolis High School
     Odenton Elementary
     HHT Online Program
Montgomery County Board of Education
Maryland Public Health Association
Maryland Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate
National Aquarium
Bowie State University (3 projects)
Prince George’s County (27 projects)
     Board of Education
     Bladensburg High School
     Frederick Douglass High School
     Benjamin Tasker MS
     Laurel High School (2 projects)
     Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School
     Bowie High School
     Crossland High School
     Laurel High School
     Eleanor Roosevelt High School 
     Surratsville High School
     DuVal High School
     Online Campus
     Parkdale High School
     Dr. Henry Wise High School 
     Central High School
     Bladensburg High School
     Non-Traditional Program North
Robert Goddard Montessori
University of Maryland Global Campus (3)
University of Maryland, Baltimore (2)
Baltimore County Public Schools (12)
     Hebbville Elementary
     Dulaney High School
     NTPN
     Frederick Douglass High School
     Benjamin Tasker Middle School
     Laurel High School
     Largo High School
MD Dept of Natural Resources Conservation Education Matrix Team 
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Patuxent Research Refuge
University of Maryland Baltimore County (2)
UMBC Office of Sustainability
The Gunston School​


Here are a few project summaries to inspire you!​

Towson University Professor James Overduin reported: 
My event was held on April 4 during my Thermodynamics course for undergraduate and graduate physics students at Towson University. I told the students "Today we're going to do something different! We're going to brainstorm how we might use physics to save the world!"

I presented an idea I have been discussing with a research student. We are thinking of combining two ideas: (1) placing reflectors at the stable Lagrange point between the Earth and Sun to deflect some of the Sun's light, helping to reduce global warming, and (2) propelling these sails with a laser array on Earth, rather than using spacecraft. This idea was recently proposed by Yuri Milner in a much more ambitious scheme to propel sails to nearby stars ("Breakthrough Starshot"). Our proposal is more modest --- we are only sending sails part of the way toward our own Sun. But doing so might save the Earth! I invited the class to give feedback, and we had a lively discussion.
http://wp.towson.edu/joverdui/


Prince Georges County Public Schools registered to host 27 climate activities for this year’s Climate Teach-In. PG county students were given access to a wide array of fun and immersive learning experiences, including week-long climate art projects, Earth Day TikTok Challenges, swap meets, and community public service announcements. 

National Aquarium
The National Aquarium, a strong supporter of Maryland’s Climate Teach-In, has registered to host a variety of climate talks for their visitors at their downtown Baltimore location. The National Aquarium's experienced staff presented several educational carts and climate talks as well as an awesome “Magic Planet” display to represent global issues and solutions that reached 1, 155 guests. 

For Climate Education week, the NA had one-on-one climate-related conversations with 5,482 guests. These typically occur when a staff member stations at an exhibit and speaks to guests about the animal and the impacts on climate change for that animal and ecosystem.  

Staff were able to focus in on climate change interpretation with at least ​6,637 people! 


The Primary School 
73 Pre-K through second-grade students in my school began various units of study that focus on our environment, eco-systems, climate change, renewable energy and recycling.

Kindergarten students completed a unit about the importance of fresh water, the water cycle and how climate change is affecting it. They learned that some of the gases in our atmosphere are keeping the sun's heat closer to the Earth. Unusual and severe weather in many places is causing changes in our water cycle. The students made water cycle bags which demonstrate evaporation, condensation and precipitation.

Pre-Kers are in the midst of learning the three R's and designing an "I Can Help Our Planet Earth" book made of repurposed materials to better understand composting, recycling, reusing, reducing and other strategies that they can be a part of to benefit our earth. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Diane Hansen, teacher 

UMD Global Campus
University of Maryland’s Global Campus showed “Dream Big For What You Want to Happen,” a short documentary on Olympic athlete and Coach Pete Vordenberg’s journey to raise the bar on climate conversations and solutions. Aft​er watching the documentary, listeners took part in a Q&A. 

A second project at UMGC was Climate Stories Across Our Nation: George Donart, fisherman from Alaska, Dr. George Samuel, medical doctor from Maryland, Andrew Eyerly, UMGC alumnus, outdoorsman and conservationist, Keith Ohlinger of Porch View Farm in Maryland, and Dr. Paulo Maurin, coral reef researcher in Hawaii, shared their stories on how climate is affecting them and their professions. We then discussed how various professions
and communities can be part of solutions, and we held breakout sessions.   

This session had people from about 16 states, and Guam, Japan, and Korea.
Sabrina S. Fu, Ph.D. 
Environmental Portfolio Director
https://umgc-edu.zoom.us/my/sabrinafu


Towson University 
Professor Sarah Haines, Biological Sciences, wrote: 

My class participated in the Climate Teach-In this year through my course 'Water and the Environment".  We discussed how global climate change is affecting the water cycle, and how that in turn is affecting agriculture.  We have discussed global climate change and its connection to water in many other ways throughout the semester- deforestation, water access, tourism effects, etc. 

Professor Sumanth Reddy, Bowie State University wrote: 
For the Teach-In, in my Elements of Geography class of 22 students, I used the images and video in the following article https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/world/climate-change-photography-paul-nicklen-cristina-mittermeier-c2e-spc-intl-scn-climate/index.htmlto have a vibrant discussion about climate change. These are very powerful images. We spent the entire 50-minute class discussing this topic, and students had many opinions, questions, and insights. 

I deeply appreciate all the work that you do for BSU and the world. Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring.

Sumanth Reddy, PhD

 ​What is Climate Literacy?
​According to the Climate Literacy Framework from the US Global Change Research Council, Climate Science Literacy is an understanding of your influence on climate and climate's influence on you and society.





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