Time: 7 p.m. ET

Video Conference Log In: meet.google.com/mxo-fkqc-owb
Phone Dial In #: (‪US‬) ‪+1 484-641-8305‬
Pin: 732 637 522#‬

Beth cherished her childhood summers on a pristine northern Canadian lake, where she reveled in the sweet smell of dew on early morning hikes, the loons’ evening trills across the lake’s many bays, every brush stroke of her brother’s paintings celebrating their cherished place, and their grandfather’s laughter as he welcomed neighbors to their annual Welsh harvest celebration. Theirs was an unshakeable bond with nature, family, and friends, renewed every summer on their island of granite and pines.

But that bond was threatened and then torn apart, first as rights to their island were questioned and then by nature itself, and the family was forced to leave. Fourteen years later, Beth has created a new life in urban Chicago. There, she’s erected a solid barrier between the past and present, no matter how much it costs—until her grandfather asks her to return to the island to determine its fate. Will she choose to preserve who she has become, or risk everything to discover if what was lost still remains?

Habitat degradation driven by urbanization, invasive species, and climate change, has led to significant loss of native flora and fauna in the Escondido watershed. This degradation has disrupted ecosystem services such as water purification, carbon sequestration, and soil stabilization, which are crucial for the community’s well-being.

The Escondido Creek Conservancy’s Planet Stewards initiative Preserving the Future: Student-Led Habitat Restoration in Escondido, is working with over 90 high school students and their teachers to restore one-acre area of the Escondido Creek watershed by planting native vegetation, conducting biodiversity assessments, collecting soil samples, and calculate the carbon sequestration of their efforts over time.

Check out these images of the project in action. Become inspired to apply to Planet Stewards for funding in the spring of 2025 to make a difference in your community!

Don’t miss your shot!

This month NOAA Education will be closing its Multimedia Needs Assessment survey.  

This is your last chance to let us know the kinds of multimedia resources you want NOAA to create for your students and your professional development 

Let us know how we can create the kinds of materials you want and need!

Climate Science for the Middle Grades

Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 6-7 p.m. ET

What key concepts should middle school students know about climate science? And how can you share these while avoiding the doom and gloom that often comes with climate change discussions? 

In this hour-long Climate Science for the Middle Grades virtual workshop scientists and educators from the University Center for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) will explore the essential elements of climate literacy at the middle school level. Leave with a suite of standards-aligned activities that you can use immediately to help students in your classroom understand climate science and solutions to climate change. 

Take a tour of the SkySci for Kids website designed especially for kids ages 5-10. Discover new resources to help your students learn about weather, climate, and what's up in the sky. In this one-hour virtual workshop, UCAR educators will share tips to integrate their SkySci for Kids learning materials into your existing curriculum.

Try out activities and games that provide a solid, age-appropriate foundation for learning about complex science topics, all while making learning fun. You'll leave ready to teach new activities and support the next generation of scientists!

Climate Conversations: Reimagining Household Products

Friday, December 6, 2024 I 1:30-2:45 p.m. ET

Most household products we use in our day-to-day lives are derived from fossil carbon sources, from toiletries and cleaning supplies to plastic packaging and pharmaceuticals. When these products reach end of life, their disposal and decay results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to climate change. Achieving the nation’s climate and sustainability goals will require finding new methods for manufacturing these essential consumer products from non-fossil carbon sources, such as carbon dioxide, and ensuring that their life cycle from production to disposal does not contribute additional GHG emissions.

The webinar can be viewed on the Climate Conversations: Reimagining Household Products webpage. Closed captioning will be provided. The conversation will include questions from the audience and will be recorded and available to view on the page after the event.

Register for the Reimagining Household Products webinar!

The ANGARI Foundation and the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute invite you to their final live Ocean Expert Exchange webinar of 2024! 

If you have ever dreamed of exotic expeditions and a life of adventure but thought you had to be a scientist to do it, think again! What goes into an expedition is much more complex than most of us realize, and there are fascinating careers in high demand that most people never think about. Tune in to journey to the polar seas and beyond with Michele Hoffman Trotter, and find out if you have what it takes to join her in a career of exploration and adventure!

Ocean Expert Exchange livestream events are free, open to audiences of all ages and accessible via Zoom (recommended, pre-registration is required) and YouTube Live.

For more information, to register for the webinar, submit questions ahead of the event, and explore related educational resources, visit the Angari Future at Sea website.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 

Presentation at 12:15 p.m.

Meet and Greet 12:30 - 1 p.m.

Ever wondered what it’s like to work at NOAA? Here’s your chance to find out! Join us at the NOAA Booth for an engaging presentation on NOAA internships. Discover how NOAA’s interns get hands-on experience tackling real-world environmental challenges, and learn what sets NOAA’s programs apart!

After the presentation, stay for our Meet & Greet with NOAA staff! This is your time to connect, ask questions, and get insider tips on navigating NOAA careers. Our team is excited to share stories about their work and answer your questions about what it’s like to be part of NOAA.

The NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador program provides a new level of engagement for youth aged 13-18 committed to ocean conservation and stewardship of our blue planet. We are looking for enthusiastic youth with new ideas and a unique perspective to learn more about America’s underwater treasures and to share their passion with others. 

What is a NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador's role?

Attend monthly webinars to learn about the National Marine Sanctuary System, threats to the ocean, ocean optimism, NOAA programs and careers, opportunities for engagement, and future leadership programs

Gain the confidence and skills to lead a project or event at your school or in your local community that supports ocean conservation and stewardship.

Track progress on your school or community project or event 

Actively engage in discussions with other Ambassadors, post-webinar surveys, and evaluation of program content

Check and respond to emails in a timely manner

Complete the Climate Resilience in Your Community Activity Book over the course of the program

Share your knowledge, passion, and skills with your school or community as an official NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador

Together we can make a difference in the conservation and stewardship of the ocean through marine protected areas, and enhanced ocean and climate literacy.

The Earth Prize is an annual, global $100,000 environmental sustainability competition for students between the ages of 13 and 19, which rewards the teams whose projects have the most potential to address environmental issues. It aims to inspire and empower the next generation of environmental leaders and innovators, creating a global platform for sharing and scaling their solutions.

In 2025, there will be seven regional winners, each receiving $12,500 to carry out their ideas. The regions are Oceania, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, and Central & South America. In addition, The Earth Prize will recognize three mentors and three educators of the year, awarding each $2,500.

This online clearinghouse of ocean-related content for K–12 educators offers background information on ocean science topics; lesson plans using authentic marine science data sets; information about marine careers, internships, and summer activities for students; and professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators. The Bridge DATA Series are lessons that provide opportunities for students to work with authentic scientific data and learn how ocean data is collected and analyzed. Teachers will also appreciate the Bridge Infographic Gallery, a collection of over three dozen infographics presenting facts and information on ocean themes such as coral bleaching, marine debris, threats to coral reefs, gathering environmental information from the world' s ocean, plastics in the oceans, sharks, and humpback whales.

Explore the Bridge Ocean Science Education Resource Center

This historical timeline tool from Earth Force helps young people map out the history of their selected issue - giving more information about the people, practices, and policies that have affected the issue over time, with particular attention to equity.

In this game, students will examine solutions to the climate crisis, enact global policies based on environmental benefit and political capital, and attempt to keep global warming below the Paris Agreement benchmark.

Students will learn about some of the different sectors for climate change solutions, how enacting these solutions can improve other areas of civilization, and how delicate the decision-making process is for climate change solutions.

Play the Net Zero Game!

In a changing world, how can ecosystems, places, and ways of life be saved?  How can people ensure that there will still be bitterroot and camas to harvest, that bull trout will still spawn in streams, that there will be enough water for all who need it, or that winter Coyote stories can still be told as winters grow shorter and warmer?  For the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, inaction on climate change is not an option.  A healthy environment is essential for maintaining modern and traditional lifeways. Dive into this storymap for more information about the People and learn about the climate impacts and actions affecting the areas of forest, wildlife, fish, water, infrastructure, lands, and air where they live.

Explore the Native Drought Resilience Project Storymap

KidsGardening.org’s searchable Kids Garden Community Resource Library has curricula, webinars, lesson plans, digital interactives, and instructional guides to enhance K–12 teaching and learning through the garden. Educators can access everything from informational articles and practical guides for making the most of school-grown produce, such as Starting and Maintaining a School Garden (grades K–12) or Garden to Cafeteria Toolkit (grades K–12), to curriculum materials that teach lifelong gardening skills, such as Growing a Wild NYC: A K–5 Urban Pollinator Curriculum (grades K–5) and Digging Into Soil: Garden Practicum (grades 9–12). Resources can be searched by type, topic, features and audience.

Explore the Kids Garden Community Library

Application deadline: December 31, 2024 

The Environmental Conservation Corps (ECC) is an AmeriCorps-accredited workforce development and service-learning program for young adults pursuing careers in conservation and environmental fields. Participants will gain field skills and training while addressing coastal resilience and habitat restoration needs in the South Carolina Lowcountry region. Projects include oyster reef fabrication, liv