T186 Climate Literacy in Formal and Informal Education, for Policy Makers and the Public, and Measures of Impact

Tuesday, 27 September 2016
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Mile High Ballroom 4D

LENS ON CLIMATE CHANGE (LOCC)—ENGAGING DIVERSE SECONDARY STUDENTS IN CLIMATE SCIENCE THROUGH FILMMAKING

Paper number: T186-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Climate change is an important societal challenge, yet many students have difficulty understanding its relevance to their lives. The Lens on Climate Change program (LOCC) engages middle and high school students in producing short films about climate change topics affecting their communities in Colorado and New Mexico. Program participants attend either a week-long summer program or an after-school program during the school year. Participants are recruited from rural, suburban and urban communities, and represent a range of diverse backgrounds.

The LOCC program engages students in self-directed research about a climate topic of their choice. Students participate in all aspects of filming and editing. The program culminates in a public screening where students present their films and answer questions. Undergraduate and graduate student mentors from the University of Colorado and the Colorado Film School assist students in their research and film production. These mentors act as role models and can thus spark students’ interest in a career in science and technology and possibly serve as guides to college engagement.

A rigorous research design aims to understand whether filmmaking is an effective tool to spark and sustain student interest in STEM and technology fields. Survey, focus group and interview data are collected from participating students, mentors and teachers to examine the relative importance of key components of the program in achieving the research goals. Preliminary data from summer 2016 indicate that involvement in the project helped students to gain confidence in themselves and increased their interest in communicating potential future impacts of climate change to their communities. 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 7

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-285791

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