Climate Change: Exploring Solutions to a Complex Problem is a week-long professional development workshop for middle- and high-school science teachers developed and facilitated by Professor Laure Resplandy, Lab Manager Danielle Schmitt and former graduate student Abigale Wyatt *24. This in-person workshop took place August 19-23 in Guyot Hall. NJ PBS highlighted the worked on Spotlight News.

Through content discussions and investigations that used active-learning techniques, the participants gained an understanding of the scientific basis of climate and climate modeling, predictions and impacts of climate change, the role of human activities in the climate system, and were introduced to cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to mitigate the effects of a climate change. They explored spatial and temporal patterns in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (including the role of terrestrial vegetation and marine phytoplankton), projections of changes in temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and extreme weather events, used a climate simulator to investigate the effects of different CO₂ concentrations, and analyzed how projected temperature changes could impact not only ecosystems, but also sea level at regional and global scales.

Additions to the workshop this year included a guest lecture and tour of Princeton’s new T.I.G.E.R. (Thermally Integrated Geo-Exchange Resource) provided by Ted Borer, Energy Plant Director and activities lead by members of the Council on Science and Technology involving the use of art and story-telling in science communication.

Funding and support were provided by Princeton’s High Meadows Environmental Institute, Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System, Program in Teacher Preparation and The Department of Geosciences.

 QUEST participants tour Princeton University’s T.I.G.E.R. (the Thermally Integrated Geo-Exchange Resource) energy plant.