The Climate School at Columbia University is committed to its goal of international education and its mission to develop and inspire knowledge-based solutions to educate future leaders, and a climate literate population, for just and prosperous societies on a healthy planet. The Earth Network: Climate Education for a Resilient Future aims to address the urgent need for climate education and empowerment through education co-development and partnerships. We convene and foster connections and collaborations amongst the existing and ongoing efforts on public and K-12, non-formal and informal climate education approaches across Columbia University and in the worldwide communities engaged by our researchers and educators. We will also take a life-long learning approach and will focus on all ages as we expand our network. In doing so, our Earth Network will help identify, map, and establish a database of ongoing and active programs, partners and collaborators, best practices, as well as developed products, resources, and tools. By sharing ideas and recognizing overlaps and gaps, Earth Network members can better co-develop and apply ideas for research and funding proposals to scale and expand our reach with policy and practice.
Our Earth Network recently participated in a panel discussion for the 2025 Learning Planet Festival. This event highlighted innovative programs and strategies developed at Columbia University’s Climate School to advance climate education across multiple levels – from K -12 students to teachers and community organizations. See the panel recording below!
Click here for our Earth Day Virtual Panel Series under Worldwide Climate & Justice Education Week.
The event series is organized by Climate Education for a Resilient Future, Earth Network at the Climate School with the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) of Climate School at Columbia University.
The Mid-Winter Climate Institute is a large-scale professional learning experience for K–12 educators across New York City, convening more than 500 NYC Public School teachers each year. This two-day, in-person institute brings together educators from across grade levels and content areas with the goal of identifying meaningful entry points for climate education within existing curricula.
The Institute is hosted by NYC Public Schools Office of Energy & Sustainability, Columbia University Teachers College, and Subject to Climate, with sponsorship from the Columbia Climate Education for a Resilient Future Earth Network.
The Columbia Climate School contributes to the Mid-Winter Climate Institute by leading select sessions that highlight the School’s interdisciplinary climate scholarship. These sessions connect educators with current research, real-world climate solutions, and practical insights to support engaging, classroom-relevant climate education.
Participants will select a content-area track— 1. STEAM, 2. Math, 3. ELA, 4. Civics/Social Studies, or 5. Health/Wellness/Electives—for deeper exploration of climate education aligned to their teaching context.
For questions, please contact Kailyn Fox, Education & Training Manager, at kfox8@schools.nyc.gov.
Columbia Climate School and the Climate Education for a Resilient Future- Columbia Earth Network developed the Climate Education Resource Hub to offer a range of lessons, activities, and training events designed to enhance science education for learners of all ages. These resources, grounded in cutting-edge research, real-time data, and hands-on learning experiences, are accessible to students, educators, and the general public eager to deepen their understanding of climate science and the world around us.
| Name | Title | |
| Van Geen, Alexander | Lamont Research Professor | avangeen@ldeo.columbia.edu |
| Kruczkiewicz, Andrew | Senior Staff Associate II | ajk2207@columbia.edu |
| Curtis, Ashley | Assistant Director of Open Enrollment Programs | aec2107@columbia.edu |
| Shin, Haein | Education Technical Adviser | hs2587@columbia.edu |
| Verdeli, Helen | Associate Professor of Psychology and Education | verdeli@tc.columbia.edu |
| Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey | Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Faculty of Climate | js4645@columbia.edu |
| Scherling, Laura | Director, M.S. Program for Applied Analytics | lss2165@columbia.edu |
| Vasquez, Leticia | Director, College Acess Program, The Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center, Barnard College | lv2452@columbia.edu |
| Turrin, Margie | Senior Staff Associate II | mkt@ldeo.columbia.edu |
| Pizmony-Levy, Oren | Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education | op2183@tc.columbia.edu |
| Merchant, Rashawn | Lecturer | rkm2151@columbia.edu |
| Parks, Robbie | Assistant Professor (tenure track) | rmp2198@columbia.edu |
| Newton, Robert | Lecturer | bnewton@ldeo.columbia.edu |
| Wells, Sasha | Executive Director, The Roger Lehecka Doble Discovery Center, Barnard College | smw2183@columbia.edu |
