Regional Youth Policy Summit on Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Michigan and Climate Status Investigations Teacher Training Program

For the first time, The Keystone Center will bring two of its signature education programs together under the same roof in Kalamazoo, Michigan! Keystone’s Youth Policy Summits (YPS) provide students with a transformational education experience that provides unique public policy mediation and stakeholder engagement training on a contemporary, science-intensive policy issue. Their experience provides them with the research, negotiation, problem solving, and policy analysis skills they will need to be successful in their future endeavors as scientists, lawyers, doctors and business professionals.

Keystone’s CSI: Climate Status Investigations teacher program provides educators with the training and tools to introduce the topic of global climate change with students with a non-biased, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary curriculum. The CSI curriculum leads students through an exploration of the many aspects of global climate change. In 2008, The Keystone Center conducted CSI trainings in different regions of the country, including Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, New Mexico and Colorado.

In 2009, in partnership with the Western Michigan University/Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (WMU/MGRRE), Keystone Science School will conduct a Youth Policy Summit for 30-40 students, who will focus on the subject of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the nation. Participating students will be asked to negotiate consensus-based recommendations to be shared with the State Board of Education, Members of Congress, the Governor and Michigan state legislature, as well as business and NGO sector leaders.

At the same time, Keystone will offer a CSI teacher training program for 30-40 educators from the region. These educators will reach approximately 4,500 students per year. Keystone provides educators with strategies to identify and remove bias in order to facilitate student inquiry. The CSI curriculum incorporates effective and innovative ideas, activities and methods including conflict resolution, role-playing, small group work, and lab activities. CSI addresses national standards from multiple disciplines. Further, educators also have the option of receiving one graduate-level credit at minimal cost. With our active hands-on lessons and labs, teachers and students alike will never be bored!

“Great conference! The wealth of knowledge shared both by participants and presenters was rich. I look forward to sharing the curriculum and ideas with my students-giving them a new way to look at a hot topic…and giving them the tools to be empowered!” Lori Gillam, Central Middle School of Science, Anchorage, AK

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Youth Policy Summit is particularly timely. Though climate legislation failed in the 110th session of Congress, it is expected that some form of carbon controls will be enacted in the next Congress. It is imperative that students and educators explore and better understand opportunities to address this issue. Possibilities include reducing electricity consumption by industrial, commercial and residential users; increasing the amount of renewable energy; improving energy efficiency of buildings and appliances; improving fuel efficiency of transportation; and finding methods to safely remove and store greenhouse gases. All these choices will result in fewer carbon emissions to the atmosphere, but every choice also has economic and social implications, and each state may be affected differently, and choose different energy and technology options based on existing resources and opportunities. Students and educators will examine options to reduce greenhouse gases, while balancing political, legal, economic, technological, environmental and social factors.

I have already altered the courses I am taking and dropped another year of advanced physics to take AP Environmental Science as a result of my experience at Keystone. Overall, I am very concerned with the energy sustainability crisis now and if I was a few months older and had the ability to vote in the election, each party's stance would have a big impact on whom I voted for. When I hear the position of each of the candidates on alternative fuels, my ears prick up immediately. Awareness was an amazing gift Keystone gave each of us. I am also thinking about pursuing environmental physics in college, as this combines two of my interests. Bryn Falahee, Student, Kalamazoo Math and Science Center, Kalamazoo, MI