2022 Summer Climate Action Conference for Educators: Understanding Sustainability
July 18-19, 2022, Daemen College, 9:00AM-4:00PM
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While so many challenges face you as an educator, we would like to share a remarkable opportunity that will help you and your students respond to what is arguably, among many, the most significant issue of our time: how to respond to the warming of the planet and climate change.
Anticipating that the New York State Legislature will pass broad Climate Change Education bills, we would like to invite teachers of all grades and subjects to the 2022 Summer Climate Action Conference: Understanding Sustainability, held from July 18-19, 2022 from 9:00AM-4:00PM at Daemen College, Amherst NY. Background and Goals: In order to empower educators of all grades and subjects to teach about what is arguably the most important issue of our time, the Academy for Human Rights, Erie 1 BOCES, and Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES are proud to be partnering with the Erie County Department of Environmental Planning to stage a Climate Action Conference for Educators on July 18-19, 2022 at Daemen College in Amherst, NY. For a low registration fee of $25.00, this event will not only equip teachers with the knowledge to inspire their students to be part of the worldwide sustainability solutions to the warming of the planet, but will also allow them to be better acquainted with how their actions in the classroom can amplify the goals of the Erie County’s Community Climate Action Plan. What makes this training unique: What makes this training unique is that it is not just geared for Science teachers, but appropriate for elementary and secondary Social Studies, English, Technology, LOTE, and Librarian educators, and school administrators. Approaching this topic from such a multidisciplinary lens is crucial so that students can better see its multifaceted components; most notably, the importance of taking action. Information for the Takeaways:
For a low registration fee of $25.00, participants will receive the following:
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speakers and presenters
Dr. Don Haas is the Director of Education and Outreach at the Paleontological Research Institution. His work in public outreach, teacher education, teacher professional development and curriculum materials development marries deep understandings of how people learn with deep understandings of the Earth system. He is a past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and a nationally regarded expert in climate and energy education, place-based and technology-rich Earth and environmental science education. He has led educator professional development programming throughout the US. He also is co-author of the books, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change and The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale. He served on the Earth & Space Science Design Team for the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Don has taught at Colgate, Cornell, and Michigan State Universities, the University at Buffalo, Kalamazoo College, and Tapestry and Norwich (New York) High Schools.
Renee Sossong-Brady is the STEM Coordinator for Erie 1 BOCES. Her focus areas are Science, STEAM Integration, Maker Spaces, Early Learning and Play Based Learning. She has been at Erie 1 BOCES supporting teachers and area school districts for a little over four years. Prior to that, she was an elementary teacher and a district STEM Coach for a combination of 23 years after graduating with a Bachelors in Elementary Education from Buffalo State College and a Masters Degree in Special Education from Niagara University. She is so excited to be able to continue to grow and to be an advocate for life-long learning.
Andrew (Drew) Beiter is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Academy. An 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Springville Middle School, In the past fifteen years, he has spoken in front of thousands of educators both nationally and globally on the power of education to heal the world. In September 2020, he was selected into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas and in April 2022, he was appointed as a County Climate Ambassador by the Erie County Legislature.
Tracy Skalski is the Sustainability Coordinator in the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning. She helped develop the County's Climate Action and Sustainability Plan for internal operations and is currently developing the equity-centered Community Climate Action Plan. Tracy is the County’s Climate Smart Communities coordinator and has helped the County achieve Silver Certification. She oversees the initiatives of the County’s internal Green Team and is part of the Community Climate Change Task Force. Tracy has a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Earth Science from Buffalo State College and has 17 years of professional experience in the environmental field. Since 2015, she has concentrated on environmental sustainability and climate change.
Nicole Morris-McLaughlin is Erie County’s Sr. Energy Development Specialist. Nicole is leading the ECLIPSE program; Erie County Low-Income Program for Sustainable Energy. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. Before moving back to Western New York, Nicole worked to advance Environmental Justice in Massachusetts, as the program director of the Southcoast Energy Challenge. She worked closely with the developers of the US’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind to bring job opportunities and community benefits to disadvantaged communities in southern Massachusetts. Nicole then worked with Solar Farms New York and Common Energy to make solar accessible to everyone regardless of income level through Community Solar. She has a deep passion for sharing with others her optimism of the benefits of transitioning to a clean energy future.