National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has a long history of providing trusted environmental education resources for students of all ages. We recently joined with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to make a commitment to climate education and STEM. We announced the launch of  Climate Classroom and relaunch of  Climate Classroom Kids at the White House Back-to-School Climate Event on August 20. These actions build off of the call-to-action issued through the Climate Education and Literacy Initiative, launched in December 2014 to connect students and citizens with the best-available, science-based information about climate change.

We were truly honored to be chosen to present our resources at the White House. The websites and lesson plans are designed for different ages. But they are related in our commitment to present a continuum of learning opportunities from early childhood to college and to design age and developmentally appropriate climate education.

Climate Classroom Kids (this site) is designed for educators and parents with younger students (grades K-5). It utilizes the photography of Howard Ruby and stories of animals to enhance understanding of the effects of climate change on wildlife habitat and introduces students to actions that reduce carbon pollution.

Climate Classroom is a new website and online course developed in conjunction with the filmmakers and supporters for the Emmy-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously. The lesson plans and resources (designed for students from grades 6-12 and college undergraduates) correspond to the science and subject matter presented in the documentary series; they encourage students to analyze the relevance of climate change to their daily lives and investigate how they, as individuals, can be part of the solution. This interdisciplinary curriculum highlights careers in science, provides writing prompts, and outlines service-learning projects to connect science to language arts, social studies, and life skills.

Combined, the two programs provide educational information for a wide range of learners and leverage NWF’s educational resources and programs for schools, campuses, and homes.

Over the next couple of months we will be adding new materials, announcing events and contests on both sites. So, thank you for your interest today and we invite you to be part of our learning community by signing-up and encourage you to check back often for updates!