CCESS 2019: Welcome
Welcome to CCESS 2019!
Grand Valley State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Regional Math and Science Center, and Geography and Sustainable Planning Department welcome you to the Climate Change Education Solutions Summit (CCESS), which will take place June 12, 2019 from 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. in the Grand River Room at the Kirkhof Center on GVSU’s main campus in Allendale.
The registration for the CCESS2019 ended May 31. This event is fully booked. We hope to see you next year.
What to expect?
The Summit will bring together K-12 educators and university faculty, scientists, non-formal environmental educators, citizens groups, and non-profit organizations to share innovative ideas and perspectives on climate change curriculum in Michigan schools.
This full-day event will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, round tables, and mini-workshops, providing excellent teaching, learning, and networking opportunities. Participants will be able to engage with interactive visualization tools, review climate change teaching materials, such as MEECS (Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support) and the Next Generation Climate curriculum, and develop lesson plans for immediate and relevant classroom use.
Teachers attending the CCESS will receive 6 credits of Michigan Education Clock Hours (SCECHs). Instruction, teaching materials, and application fee are free for all participants.
Get Inspired.
The CCESS 2019 Honorary Chair is Rev. George K. Heartwell.
During his 12-year tenure as Mayor of Grand Rapids, the city was recognized by the United Nations as the country’s first Regional Center for Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development, by the US Chamber of Commerce as the nation’s most sustainable mid-sized city, and Heartwell was recognized by the US Conference of Mayors with the first place award for climate protection in the large city category.
Heartwell has received Gubernatorial appointments from both Democrat and Republican Governors of Michigan, including his current appointment as State Transportation Commissioner, and was appointed by President Obama to serve on the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Resilience.
Heartwell has a professional background in business, government, and higher education. He completed his undergraduate studies at Albion College and holds the Master of Divinity degree from Western Theological Seminary. Heartwell is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.
The CCESS 2019 keynote speakers are Sarah Duffer, Jeffrey Andresen, and Jessica Thompson
Sarah Duffer
Sarah Duffer teaches earth and environmental sciences at Asheville High School in Asheville, NC. In 2018, she led her students to win the Inaugural Drawdown EcoChallenge. Duffer has received several national awards in recognition of her innovative teaching. She was an Energy Literacy and a Climate Literacy Fellow with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Office of the Environment.
Jeffrey Andresen
Dr. Jeffrey A. Andresen, is a professor and the State Climatologist for Michigan with Michigan State University’s Department of Geography. He is a co-director of the Great Lakes Integrated Science and Assessment (GLISA) program of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Andresen oversees the development and analysis of historical climatological data used in the project and the integration of decision-support tools.
Jessica Thompson
Dr. Jessica L. Thompson is an associate professor in the Communication and Performance Studies Department at Northern Michigan University. Her research is focused on team and organizational communication about complex ecological issues. Recent research projects include working with interdisciplinary teams studying climate resilience and building communication capacity for climate change engagement. She currently serves on the National Park Service Advisory Board’s Education Committee.
This event is sponsored by the GVSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Regional Math and Science Center, Geography and Sustainable Planning Department, the GVSU Career Center, and the Office of Sustainable Practices.
For more information, please contact the CCESS Planning Committee Chair, Dr. Elena Lioubimtseva at [email protected].