Environmental innovations initiative: From the classroom to the real world

Volunteers work together on a project at Penn Park Orchard. (Photo by Eric Sucar, University Communications)

It’s an uncertain time for the planet, and the actions we take to address climate change today will have the largest impact on young people and future generations. So, shouldn't teachers and students be part of devising the solutions? The Project-Based Learning (PBL) for Global Climate Justice research community — led by Zachary Herrmann, adjunct associate professor at Penn GSE and executive director of the Center for Professional Learning, and Taylor Hausburg — allows teachers to design highly effective active learning experiences for climate education, empowering students to directly confront the crisis. 

Recently, Herrmann, Hausburg, and their team of researchers have started to explore the connections between climate and human health, and the research currently taking place across Penn. Drawing on this University-wide research, an upcoming cohort of teachers, starting in the fall, will focus on designing projects at the intersection of climate change and human health. 

“One positive finding thus far is the impact PBL for Global Climate Justice has had on teachers themselves,” remarks Herrmann. “Historically, many teachers saw climate change as something out of their purview, reserved for policymakers or scientists.” 

Read more at Environment.UPenn.edu.