Gonzaga Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment
The Gonzaga Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment provides resources and opportunities to students, faculty, community members, and leaders in the inland northwest to meet the unprecedented challenges facing humanity and the wider natural environment in the 21st century. Such a vision is central to our identity as a Jesuit institution of higher learning. We are informed by an abiding commitment to a just society and care for the planet, the Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment serves Gonzaga University and the broader regional communities by promoting innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, consulting and capacity building on the climate, society and the environment.
Climate Literacy Project
What is Climate Literacy?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), climate literacy means that you understand the influence of climate on yourself and society and your influence on climate. The Gonzaga Climate Literacy Project seeks to help teachers and students develop a foundational scientific understanding of the complex workings of our climate, what has caused it to change in the past, the most likely causes of its present changes, and the likely global, regional, and local impacts of a changing climate. Building on that scientific knowledge, the Climate Literacy Project also invites reflection on the larger cultural, economic, and ethical issues related to climate change and the challenge of engaging the topic. We encourage teachers and students to “make it local and keep it hopeful” and explore concrete pedagogies and lessons for doing so.
Climate Literacy Fellows
In partnership with the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the legislature-funded ClimeTime program, the Gonzaga Climate Center has created the Climate Literacy Fellows program, which hires and trains Gonzaga undergraduates to deliver high-impact climate literacy activities in elementary school classrooms (grades 2-5). Learn more about the Climate Literacy Fellows program.
To learn more about the Climate Literacy Project click here >
Upcoming Classes
Partners & Collaborators
- Dr. John Traynor, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Gonzaga University
- Gonzaga University School of Education
- Spokane Public School District
- Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 (NEWESD101)
Climate Literacy Project Workshops
For university professors
For secondary school teachers (grades 6-12)
The Climate Center anticipates hosting another climate literacy workshop for Washington State secondary school teachers in 2022.
Subscribe to our mailing list to be notified of future opportunities.
For elementary school teachers (grades K-5)
The Climate Center is hosting climate literacy workshops for Washington State elementary school teachers.
Questions? Contact:
Dr. Brian G. Henning, PhD, Director, Gonzaga Climate Center
ClimateCenter@gonzaga.edu
509-313-5885
Karli Honebein, Program Coordinator, Center for Climate, Society, & the Environment
honebein@gonzaga.edu
509-313-5826