ClimeTime Turns Five!

is celebrating its fifth-year anniversary.

This article is shared with permission from ESD 112 (on behalf of the AESD).

Since 2018, this grant-funded program has given teachers the opportunity to deepen their understanding of climate science. ClimeTime provides teachers a way to bring those lessons into the classroom in ways that address the issues their own diverse communities face. The partnerships established between educational agencies, community-based organizations, and tribal schools throughout Washington bring together a unique collaboration that provides innovative approaches to climate education.

In its first five years, ClimeTime has reached approximately 26,000 educators, spanning 1,847 schools in over 200 school districts. This has impacted over 177,200 students!

“This is the only experience I’ve had in school where we talk about actively proposing solutions to the climate crisis and I think that’s important to do on a larger scale,” said one student who participated in a project inspired by ClimeTime.

One of the reasons ClimeTime stands out from other climate education systems is because it provides teachers with the means to move learning from the classroom to the community. The program empowers students to move the needle on climate change by addressing the issues impacting their own futures. Additionally, ClimeTime has supported teacher learning around Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which increases their access to high quality science instructional materials, like OpenSciEd.

Washington state students are not the only ones feeling this positive effect. ClimeTime has gained national recognition by sources like The New York Times while remaining locally relevant. Other states have taken notice and are looking to ClimeTime to provide a model of climate education for organizations across the country.

“One of the most amazing things about ClimeTime work in the NWESD region is that our Community Based Organization (CBO) partners do a phenomenal job connecting teachers not only to the people in our region who are being impacted by climate change now, but also to researchers and businesses who are facing that challenge. I can think of no better way for teachers to learn how all of the ways what they do in the classroom with students can benefit the local community,” said Brian MacNevin, NWESD Regional Science Coordinator.

The result? Abstract science becomes meaningful for both teachers and their students, allowing students to connect their learning to climate issues within their own communities and develop plausible solutions.

Funding for this grant started at $4 million and has since grown to $5 million for its fifth year.

Over the next five years, their goal is to weave climate education through all disciplines, not just science. By combining climate education with other areas, students can deepen their understanding of the intricate part science plays in all facets of life, and how, no matter what studies they pursue, climate change can impact their futures.