Events
2024 Climate Change and My Community Workshop
Theme: Water and Fish
Dates: June 12-14, 2024
Location: University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus and nearby field sites
Application: Teams of two or three apply. Teams may include a community member, educators, Indigenous knowledge holder such as an Elder, and/or advisor to youth groups. Each person on the team must fill out an application. At least one member of the team is required to enroll in a three-credit 500-level professional development course.
Application DUE DATE: Friday April 5, 2024
Questions: Christi Buffington, cbuffington@alaska.edu or call (907) 474-2794
Description: Climate change influences our lives in Alaska and the changes occurring in the Arctic impact the entire planet. The Climate Change and My Community workshop is for community members, educators, knowledge holders, and/or youth advisors interested in learning more about the following:
impacts and feedbacks of a warming Arctic;
braiding multiple ways of knowing and observing climate change from their Elders, from satellites, and from their own observations,
and making a difference on a food security and climate change issue important to their communities.
Participants will learn how to engage youth in observing changes that relate to food security. These may include observations in berries, fish habitat, water quality, clouds, weather, soils, permafrost, erosion, and the timing of green-up and green-down.
You and the youth you work with will collaborate with University of Alaska Fairbanks and NASA scientists to conduct an investigation using Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) citizen science protocols and inquiry learning methods and use these data, satellite data, and the knowledge of community Elders to inform a climate change stewardship or adaptation project in the place you live throughout the school year. Attending this workshop will engage you in a project called Arctic and Earth STEM integrating GLOBE and NASA (SIGNs), which is funded through NASA Award No. NNX16AC52A).
Instructors: Arctic and Earth SIGNs team
Successful applicants will receive:
For those residing outside the Fairbanks North Star Borough: Travel assistance and per diem (for business portion only)
Equipment for implementing a GLOBE investigation with your classroom, youth group, or community
Training in GLOBE protocols and learning activities or other relevant citizen science protocols at a workshop at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus
Support and collaboration from a UAF scientist for the design and implementation of a climate change citizen science and stewardship action project through classroom visits, meetings or emails and phone calls.
Live video call with a NASA scientist
Assistance in connecting with science professionals, elders, and local experts
Three 500 level credits from UAF (approx. $150 course fee) upon successful implementation of a citizen science and stewardship project in the classroom or in the community
Successful applicants will be required to:
Actively participate in the Arctic & Earth SIGNs workshop. Each day of the workshop builds on knowledge gained from the previous day, so we require that you commit to the entire 5 days.
Work with community leaders or Elders to co-identify a climate change issue that your students or youth group could work on.
Participate in a monthly check-in call or zoom session.
Implement at least one strand of GLOBE with students or youth group related to an important climate change issue for your community and complete a stewardship project informed by your data
Host a possible visit from a UAF scientist to launch your investigation (e.g. suggest appropriate accommodation, cooperate in finding an appropriate date)
Participate in one live video call with a NASA scientist
Show evidence of integrating and building on knowledge gained from workshops
Collaborate and share materials and ideas with other formal or informal educators, community, and with GLOBE staff
Participate in workshop evaluations, including possible interviews or questionnaires after the course is completed.
Submit a final report on your investigation and stewardship action project.