Expanding climate science through hands-on learning

Through university outreach, students at New Lisbon Middle and High Schools will get hands-on climate science and research experience. In November, Michael Notaro, director and senior scientist at the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hosted a professional development workshop with four teachers in New Lisbon to train them how to implement NASA’s Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program.

The GLOBE program is an international youth citizen science and environmental education program that promotes scientific literacy and building connections between people passionate about the environment. Students from around the world collect, submit, and analyze data while developing research projects to better understand their environment.

Michael Notaro (left) helps Kim Jensen, Yvonne Butterfield, and Kaitlin Walker use the GLOBE equipment. Photo taken by Chanyn Dorn.

Notaro’s workshop helped teachers determine how they will develop and implement youth-led local research projects with their students, including the GLOBE program’s four protocols (atmosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere). Community science and hands-on learning can be key ways to understanding climate research and impacts.

“GLOBE will provide a way for students at New Lisbon to get hands-on experience with science and climate topics,” Notaro said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what projects the teachers and students develop, and we hope to see them at the Midwest GLOBE Student Research Symposium in the spring.”

Topics discussed for further planning included soil frost depth and tube, soil fertility, soil particle size distribution, arctic bird migration, wind speed, and snow crystal identification and photography.

The GLOBE program in Wisconsin is supported in part by the Wisconsin Rural Partnerships Institute (RPI), which allows Notaro to provide the school with the scientific equipment they need to collect data and conduct research projects. The program also provides stipends to teachers participating in the training.

“Empowering our students at New Lisbon with hands-on climate science experience through the GLOBE program is not just about education; it’s about inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Yvonne Butterfield, science teacher at New Lisbon School District. “With the guidance of experts like Dr. Michael Notaro, we are paving the way for meaningful connections between science and our community.”

Teachers at New Lisbon are now developing implementation plans so their students can begin collecting data and developing projects. The Midwest GLOBE Student Research Symposium held each spring will provide an opportunity for New Lisbon students to present their research, meet peers and scientists, and learn more about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The Rural Partnerships Institute’s mission is to conduct research and outreach to maintain the social and economic vitality of rural communities. Administrators and communities interested in learning more about RPI programs, including GLOBE, and how they can bring them to their schools, can contact Jackson Parr, Extension Climate Hazards Planning Educator, at jgparr@wisc.edu.

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.