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Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness

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Staff | 2017 Program Calendar | Contact

About Climate LEAP

Since 2009, the Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program (Climate LEAP) has engaged over 250 rising 9th-12th grade students in learning about the interconnected topics of climate and energy as well as the current and emerging solutions designed to move us toward a low carbon future. This STEM-based program is administered by the UNC Institute for the Environment with support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. In 2017, a special edition of Climate LEAP will be offered for students who have an interest in learning about climate change with an emphasis on exploring human health impacts and promoting community resilience. This special edition of Climate LEAP is made possible with additional funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (Grant P30ES010126) and through a partnership with the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE). The 2017 Climate LEAP will run from February – December 2017 and will be conducted in collaboration with the UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility, the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

2017 Program:
Climate Change & Community Resilience

Program goals:

  • Increase student competence in science and mathematics by examining the interconnected topics of climate and energy by examining potential human health impacts of climate change and critically evaluating climate mitigation and adaptation strategies;
  • Increase student enthusiasm for science and mathematics by showing how the topics above are relevant to students’ daily lives; specifically, this program will involve learning about students’ local communities, monitoring of local meteorological and air quality conditions and cultivating skills to be engaged stakeholders and stewards who contribute innovative ideas and actions to solve the challenges posed by climate change in their communities;
  • Increase student interest in science careers by highlighting the diversity of career opportunities and emphasizing careers in medicine, public health, city and regional planning;
  • Provide opportunities for students to complete action projects to develop their leadership and science communication skills and to promote community resilience.

Program Contact

Dana Haine, Program Director
dhaine@unc.edu | 919-843-5735