NESSC refresher course for high school teachers

In the afternoon of October 4th, 2017, some 60 high school teachers in geography, physics and NLT got updated on the latest insights in climate change science. Appropriately, this event took place in the bright, flora-rich greenhouses of the botanical gardens. Organisation was in the hands of the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC), a national consortium in which IMAU participates.

The programme started with an introduction to NESSC and the various teaching materials they have on offer. Next, Michiel van den Broeke (IMAU) updated the teachers on the latest climate change and sea level rise science, and the role of the IPCC therein. Then, the high school teachers were split in two groups to participate in a climate-related workshop. In one, led by Sharon van Geffen and Leo van Kampenhout (both IMAU), they investigated the role of clouds in the surface radiative balance, particularly how clouds may have a warming or a cooling effect depending on surface albedo and insolation. In the other workshop, led by Appy Sluijs (GEO), teachers used microscopes and fossil materials to reconstruct the climate of the past. After the workshops, soup and sandwiches were served and there was time to interact. The programme was concluded with a presentation on weather extremes and climate change impacts for the Netherlands by Peter Kuipers Munneke (IMAU).

This refresher course for high school teachers generated plenty of positive feedback. Word of mouth works, prove the some 20 teachers that have already signed up for the next session. NESSC, apart from hosting these refresher courses, also developed a great educational programme for high school students called Tipping Point Ahead (see  the TPA website) as well as general public events, like the Christmas lecture on Sunday 17th of December in science museum NEMO in Amsterdam.

Personally, I believe it's important for climate scientists to keep reaching out, in particular to the educational system, and therefore applaud NESSC for taking the lead in this. 

Leo van Kampenhout