What if students held the key to fighting climate change? Indiana’s first-ever K–12 Geoengineering Summit proved they just might.
On April 25, Indiana University Bloomington became a hub of innovation as more than 125 students from across the state gathered to present bold, student-led solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The event marked a significant milestone in climate education. It allowed students to showcase innovative ideas while exploring the potential of geoengineering, also known as climate engineering, to create a more resilient planet.
“I think that students are overwhelmed a bit when it comes to climate change and aren’t sure what they can be doing to address it,” said Paul Goddard, assistant research scientist at IU and facilitator of the Geoengineering Summit. “I think at this stage, there is a lot of depression (about climate change) as well because they know it’s a problem, but they don’t see industries and governments taking the necessary steps to cut back on emissions. This gives them an opportunity to seek solutions themselves and try to realize what it would be like to be part of the solution themselves.”
Leading up to the summit, participating students engaged in classroom projects where they developed informed-design solutions to address climate-related issues. These projects culminated in a poster session during the summit, where students showcased ideas to mitigate climate change impacts.
“The event itself is kind of a culminating event where (students) are presenting their design, which is an essential part of the engineering process,” Goddard said. “I think that’s what’s most important about this summit: they’re going to be communicating with people that aren’t their peers.”
The summit was developed in partnership with faculty from Indiana University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Education and Environmental Resilience Institute, as well as teachers from Danville Middle School, Purdue Polytechnic High School, Cardinal Ritter High School and Speedway High School. It was funded by 2892 Miles to Go, a place-based education program supported by the National Geographic Society. It facilitates collaboration between youth, educators and leaders to co-create solutions to environmental, social and cultural issues impacting their communities.
Students could meet and learn from Indiana University climate scientists and graduate students during the summit. The event aimed to inspire and motivate K–12 students and their teachers to engage in place-based learning, environmental education and action-driven change by educating a generation on geoengineering. It also sought to engender students’ interest in pursuing environmental science careers.
“What we’re trying to do with this summit is break down those barriers and get people involved in the earth sciences or the environmental sciences,” said Ben Kravitz, associate professor at IU and facilitator of the Geoengineering Summit. “We want to show them you can be a part of this to get them to a college campus and meet a professor. They may never have done that before, but show them they’re just as good as anyone else.”
For more information about the summit and its initiatives, visit the official press release: https://earth.indiana.edu/documents/1st-annual-geoengineering-summit-press-release-equidox.pdf.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
