Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 9-12)
Oct. 5, 2026, 4 – 5:30 p.m., Zoom
Grade 9-12 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the secondary level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards. Register for Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 9-12).
Office Hours
Sept. 25, 2026, 5 – 6 p.m., Zoom
Teachers and administrators are invited to bring questions related to the CCLC, climate change education, or implementing best practices in their classrooms and school districts. Stipends are not available for this session as it is supplementary for teachers and administrators who may need advice, feedback, or information. Participants are welcome to drop in at any point of the hour-long session. Register for Office Hours.
Schoolyard Investigations and Creative Climate Literacy
Sept. 12, 2026, 1 – 3 p.m., Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Rd, Mountainside, NJ 07092
Climate change education does not require expensive equipment or long field trips. With the right support, schoolyards, parks, and neighborhood green spaces can serve as powerful outdoor classrooms where students can investigate local climate impacts and explore natural climate solutions. This experiential workshop introduces educators to a series of engaging and low-cost activities that build climate literacy through observation, inquiry, action, and play. Participants will investigate the urban heat island effect, explore how plants and animals store carbon, measure biodiversity on school grounds, and identify practical climate solutions that students can implement in their own communities.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with. Register for Schoolyard Investigations and Creative Climate Literacy.
Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades K-2)
Sept. 10, 2026, 4 – 5:30 p.m., Zoom
Grade K-2 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the primary level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards. Register for Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades K-2).
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Sept. 8, 2026, 7 – 8 p.m., Zoom
The climate change driven sea level rise lecture will start with an overview of the Earth’s Greenhouse Effect and how it has contributed to sea level changes over the past 100 million years, followed by a discussion of present day sea level changes and the natural processes that will contribute to future relative sea level rise. The lecture will conclude with a discussion on how sea level rise contributes to more frequent and impactful nuisance flooding and coastal storm surge in New Jersey’s coastal communities. Time will be provided for questions and answers with the speaker, Tom Herrington, Ph.D. This session is currently full. Join the waitlist for Climate Change and Sea Level Rise.
Community Climate and Sustainability Workshop
Aug. 20, 2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., 33 Tucker St, Trenton
Isles Urban Agriculture will host a community workshop focused on practical climate resilience strategies for homes and communities. The event will include hands-on education around urban gardening, soil health, composting, water conservation, and the role of trees and green spaces in reducing heat and improving community health. Participants will learn how local food growing, stormwater management, and sustainable land care can help build stronger, healthier, and more climate-resilient neighborhoods.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with.
Coaching & Collaboration
Aug. 20, 2026, 2–3 p.m., Zoom
Please join us online for some professional networking. We will provide a brief review of climate change education, a question and answer period, and time to work together in a supportive environment. Teachers may bring lesson plans they need help with. Administrators may bring questions they have about implementation in their schools. We are happy to address any needs brought to this session and provide space for collaboration among schools and districts.
Education and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Aug. 18, 2026, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Zoom
All grades educators are invited to learn about United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and incorporating them into lessons and school initiatives. Participants will discover how climate change is not strictly a science issue but related to other social and global matters (regions and people from all around the world, economic issues, water and food shortages, resources, health, energy, community, etc.) and connects across all disciplines and subjects. Therefore, this workshop is a great session to take before or after Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education PD sessions. Participants will collaboratively examine different sustainable development goals, with given resources and ideas for teaching and students’ civic engagement.
Rain Barrel and Water Conservation Demonstration
Aug. 11, 2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., 33 Tucker St, Trenton
Isles Urban Agriculture will host a rain barrel demonstration to teach participants how rainwater collection supports water conservation, stormwater management, and garden sustainability. The demonstration will show participants how rain barrels work, what materials are needed for installation, and how collected water can be used to support gardens and reduce reliance on municipal water. This event will also connect water conservation to broader climate issues such as flooding, runoff, and neighborhood resilience.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with.
Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 3-5)
Aug. 10, 2026, 12–1:30 p.m., Zoom
Grade 3-5 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the upper elementary level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards.
Nurturing Nature Connection and Climate Emotional Literacy in the Classroom
Aug. 6, 2026, 4–5:30 p.m., Zoom
This professional development session offers teachers ways to engage students in finding meaningful ways to emotional connect with the natural world while also gently exploring their feelings about climate change. Drawing from ecotherapy and child development, this session offers engaging, age-appropriate activities that invite curiosity, creativity, and reflection about a child’s relationship with nature. Educators will learn practical ways to help children think about how they have fun with nature, learn ways to express climate-related feelings and develop a sense of care, agency, and hope. The goal is to foster a foundational relationship with the natural world and an understanding of the concept of reciprocity, so children are motivated to care for the earth, and themselves. The session is led by Dr. Megan Delaney, author of “Nature is nurture: Counseling and the natural world” who has a private ecotherapy practice and teaches ecopsychology and ecotherapy at the undergraduate and graduate level at Monmouth University.
Teaching Climate Literacy Using Local Green Spaces
July 29, 2026, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Jackson Woods Park, 01, Long Branch, NJ 07740
Local green spaces make climate science relevant, actionable, and accessible, particularly when there are time and funding constraints for field trips. Parks, forests, schoolyards, and community gardens offer opportunities for students to investigate climate impacts, observe ecosystem processes, and explore natural climate solutions in their own communities. This experiential workshop introduces educators to place-based approaches for teaching climate literacy through outdoor learning. Participants will engage in hands-on investigations, ecological observations, and creative inquiry activities that connect climate science to local landscapes while building students’ sense of stewardship and agency.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with.
Schoolyard Investigations and Creative Climate Literacy
July 28, 2026, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Scudder Preserve, 85 Browns Dock Road, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716
Climate change education does not require expensive equipment or long field trips. With the right support, schoolyards, parks, and neighborhood green spaces can serve as powerful outdoor classrooms where students can investigate local climate impacts and explore natural climate solutions. This experiential workshop introduces educators to a series of engaging and low-cost activities that build climate literacy through observation, inquiry, action, and play. Participants will investigate the urban heat island effect, explore how plants and animals store carbon, measure biodiversity on school grounds, and identify practical climate solutions that students can implement in their own communities.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with.
Office Hours
July 23, 2026, 10–11 a.m., Zoom
Teachers and administrators are invited to bring questions related to the CCLC, climate change education, or implementing best practices in their classrooms and school districts. Stipends are not available for this session as it is supplementary for teachers and administrators who may need advice, feedback, or information. Participants are welcome to drop in at any point of the hour-long session.
Teaching Climate Literacy Using Local Green Spaces
July 22, 2026, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Ave, Hamilton Township, NJ 08610
Local green spaces make climate science relevant, actionable, and accessible, particularly when there are time and funding constraints for field trips. Parks, forests, schoolyards, and community gardens offer opportunities for students to investigate climate impacts, observe ecosystem processes, and explore natural climate solutions in their own communities. This experiential workshop introduces educators to place-based approaches for teaching climate literacy through outdoor learning. Participants will engage in hands-on investigations, ecological observations, and creative inquiry activities that connect climate science to local landscapes while building students’ sense of stewardship and agency.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they do not mind getting a little dirty. Closed-toe shoes are recommended, especially since we may be working with soil, water, tools, and outdoor materials. Please dress for the weather and bring a rain jacket or waterproof layer if rain is expected. You may also want to bring your own personal gardening gloves, a reusable water bottle, and something to take notes with.
Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 6-8)
July 7, 2026, 6–7:30 p.m., Zoom
Grade 6-8 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the middle school level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards.
Native Plants: Fighting Climate Change in Your Backyard
July 1, 2026, 5:30–6:30 p.m., Zoom
Climate Change and other aspects of extreme weather motivated by global heating will cause ecological instability. Human agriculture, planting, and landscaping practices can be further destabilizing, or by working with nature’s strengths, humans can plant for greater stability. Native plants, having evolved in a location and in ecological relationships with other native creatures, can stabilize ecosystems, slow the decline of animal populations, and potentially improve water quality and buffer flooding. In this session, we will review basic climate change and the major environmental assaults on plants and animals caused by climate change. We will study selected New Jersey plants and insects as examples of ecosystem components that average NJ residents can observe and impact in their home or town. We will review some common invasive plants, and participants will have a chance to use what they learned in an exercise to “fix Dr. Duckett’s yard.” Some concepts will be appropriate for teachers of all grades. This session will be presented by Catherine Duckett, Ph.D.
Coaching & Collaboration
June 26, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m., Zoom
Please join us online for some professional networking. We will provide a brief review of climate change education, a question and answer period, and time to work together in a supportive environment. Teachers may bring lesson plans they need help with. Administrators may bring questions they have about implementation in their schools. We are happy to address any needs brought to this session and provide space for collaboration among schools and districts.
Environmental Justice
June 22, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m., Zoom
This one-hour professional development seminar on environmental justice will explore the empirical reality of and theoretical explanation for the maldistribution of environmental “goods and bads” like pollution, predominantly in minority communities in the United States with specific attention to New Jersey.
Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 9-12)
June 16, 2026, 6–8 p.m., Zoom
Grade 9-12 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the secondary level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards.
Introduction to Climate Change
June 11, 2026, 6–7 p.m., Zoom
This is a basic introduction to climate change for any educators wanting to improve their background knowledge. The session will present climate change as simple, serious, and solvable. The science behind the greenhouse effect, some of the more profound and serious climate impacts, and the most important climate solutions will be presented. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions, and some tools for teaching basic greenhouse effect will be discussed. This session may be of particular interest to teachers of subjects other than sciences.