Experience or expertise/projects of note:
I serve as PI to the Climate Education Pathways project. My work focuses on designing instructional materials for K-12 science classrooms. Recent projects include OpenSciEd Middle School and OpenSciEd Covid-19 & Health Equity, Place-based learning for elementary science at scale (PeBLES2), and BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life. Prior to these recent projects, I was the project director for the Environmental Literacy Teacher Guides series at National Geographic Society and a curriculum designer for the Environmental Literacy Project at Michigan State University (now called CarbonTIME).
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
Equipping science teachers to provide high-quality, data-driven, and meaningful learning experiences to youth about climate change is critical.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
I design instructional materials with and for local communities and national audiences. I lead BSCS’s work on Place-Based Learning for Elementary Science at Scale (PeBLES2), designing adaptable units that invite teachers to incorporate meaningful phenomena for students. I’ve been a curriculum writer on the OpenSciEd Middle School Program, Restoring ‘Ea, and Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope. I am also a researcher on the Climate Empowerment Learning Initiative (CELI), a network improvement community that is co-creating climate justice learning experiences that support teacher agency and student learning and belonging. My prior research on youth learning through citizen and community science used the environmental science agency framework.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
Working to address the climate crisis is the most important thing we could be doing in science education.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
Award-winning producer of educational multimedia and interactive teacher, student and informal learner resources developed through partnerships with local and national experts with a goal to educate and inspire curiosity, conversation and deeper connection. Projects include serving with BSCS as Co-PI on A Medical Mystery, producing the PBS website for Hacking Your Mind, partnering with BSCS on Energy: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Teachers, and producing educational materials and the website for OPB’s science of archaeology, PBS prime-time series, Time Team America.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
Students and teachers in my community have been clamoring for instruction material and tools to better understand how and why climate change is affecting the health of our communities now. I’m elated to work with this respected, thoughtful and solutions focused team to provide vitally important climate change education, approaching the topic in relevant, recognizable, and equitable ways for all learners. I’m especially excited to dig into data collected from reliable sources, learn from it, and visualize it for broad engagement in practical, meaningful and inspiring ways.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
Climate Education programs, partnerships and leadership at local, regional, national and international levels. I was a classroom teacher for 10 years in biology, ecology, earth systems and science technology and society. Worked at NASA on the Mission to Planet Earth with LandSat, was a master teacher and international trainer for the GLOBE Program and have co-founded networks and coalitions to advance climate literacy over the last decade and a half. Finally, I have led national climate educational initiatives at the White House during the Obama administration and am now an Action for Climate Empowerment National Focal Point for the United States.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
It’s the most important part of the climate work that just does not get the support it needs. Making progress here enables communities near and long term climate solutions.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
led the development of OpenSciEd Middle School; specifically currently co-leading the revision of the middle school climate change unit; extensive work with data and mapping kinds of learning experiences.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
Based on initial success in the OpenSciEd middle school climate change unit, I am very excited about designing a unit that provides teachers with the supports and data needed to teach about climate change (in any community), while also being very relevant and engaging for students. I am passionate about helping kids understand why our environments and communities are changing, and what kinds of solutions exist to adapt to the negative effects of climate change while also reducing the human footprint on Earth’s systems.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
I have a BA in political science from Colorado College. I have been working at BSCS Science Learning as a research associate since 2020 primarily with Dr. Donovan on the Humane Genetics projects. I also work on Place-Based Learning for Elementary Science at Scale (PeBLES2) which aims to create experiences that help students understand their worlds by connecting to local phenomena, communities, and cultures.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
I have previously worked with Dr. Guy-Gaytán and Dr. Harris on another project that looks at localizing curriculum for teachers. I am excited to continue work that empowers students to learn.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
Currently Betty is the PI on the STeLLA CO2. This project’s goal is to enhance teacher preparation programs in three universities with the STeLLA® program. She was the professional learning (PL) lead and Co-PI on A Medical Mystery project and also was a curriculum developer on several OpenSciEd Middle School units including the 7th grade climate change unit. Betty serves as the PL lead and curriculum developer on this project.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
I am excited because teachers are ready and hungry for this content. The “extras” that will be included such as ESA, local adaptation, and supporting teachers in not only science content but supporting them in teaching controversial topics will be a challenge but are also exciting to learn about and work on.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
My focus areas are experimental methods, social cognition, genetics education, quantitative reasoning, causal reasoning, and motivated reasoning. Visit the Humane Genetics project website.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
I have conducted research that explores how quantitative reasoning, causal reasoning, and motivated reasoning interact to influence climate change reasoning. Read more about this work in the article, “Complex influences of mechanistic knowledge, worldview, and quantitative reasoning on climate change discourse: Evidence for ideologically motivated reasoning among youth.”
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
research scientist with interests in co-designing learning environments supporting Indigenous pedagogies; curriculum developer on OpenSciEd Middle School and Place-Based Learning for Elementary Science at Scale (PeBLES2)
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
I’m excited about the opportunities for supporting students and teachers to make sense of a very real issue that is affecting their communities, and for them to ideate on and possibly enact solutions meaningful to their community.
Experience or expertise/projects of note:
Interactive design / development for OpenSciEd Orangutan simulation, 3DMSS, EMAT, Across the Sciences, Carbon Connections. Lead web developer / designer for ww.opb.org.
Reasons I’m excited about this project:
Because kids internalize and normalize new ideas, even when we think they aren’t listening.