CLIMATE SCIENCE MASTER CLASS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

BACKGROUND

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that the youth movement has generated a momentum in climate action during the UN Youth Climate Summit on 21 September 2019 in New York. This shows that the youth, being the stakeholders most likely to be exposed to the effects of climate change has moved above awareness and has taken an active role in addressing one of the biggest challenges of our time. In the said event, young climate champions represented and amplified the voice of the youth in a dialogue with decision makers.

In the Philippines, there are several initiatives that mobilize the youth by educating and inspiring them to take part in climate action. In response to the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change of the Philippines and France signed last February 26, 2015, the CCC and the National Youth Commission (NYC), together with other institutional partners, launched the youth-led campaign – #NowPH or Not on Our Watch Philippines. The CCC and NYC spearheaded various awareness drives on climate change. Further, institutionalizing the campaign was the issuance of Proclamation No. 1160, series 2015, declaring every November 25 as the National Day for Youth in Climate Action.

Pursuant to section 15 (a) of RA 9729 as amended, the Department of Education (DepEd) shall integrate climate change into the primary and secondary education curricula and/or subjects, such as, but not limited to, science, biology, sibika, history, including textbooks, primers and other educational materials, basic climate change principles and concepts. As a response to this, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the DepEd entered into a memorandum of agreement where it is stated that both parties shall work to build the capacity of DepEd personnel to integrate climate change into the basic education curricula.

Advocating to support the youth in doing their scientific researches, the National Climate Science Youth Congress (NCSYC) was held during the 2018 Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week with the theme “The 1.5°Celsius Challenge: Securing Water for All Filipinos” by recognizing and supporting emerging young student-scientists and their researches relating to water security in consideration of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The NCSYC featured researches of students from the Philippine Science High School Main Campus.

In 2019, the CCC spearheaded the 2019 Gawad CCC: Search for Outstanding Young Climate Scientists. Acknowledging the contribution of the youth in addressing one of the biggest challenges yet of our time. The 2019 Gawad CCC opened a stage for students of science high schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) to present their research relating to the Food-Water-Energy Nexus. The board of judges consisted of members of the National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE), and representatives from other national government agencies.

This year, with the intention of informing the youth with the science of climate change, the CSYP will target educators as its target participant through an online platform such as zoom and made available through other social media platforms. This will enhance the capacity of people who work to shape young minds and better equip them with the tools they need to help give the next generation of scientists, public servants, and decision makers with the science that will lead them in informed and scientifically sound solutions as they tackle the intergenerational hurdle that is climate change.

OBJECTIVES

Recognizing the importance of building the bases of the youth in their efforts to contribute to climate action, the webinar intends to equip the educators of the youth with tools and knowledge to better understand the most recent climate science, and therefore enable them to effectively communicate the concepts of climate change adaptation and mitigation to their students.

A master class is a class that is taught by an expert which intends to develop skill and knowledge of its participants on a certain discipline. To ensure that the webinar will contain the most recent climate science, the lecture during the master class will be delivered by members of the National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE) as lead technical advisory body on climate science and technology. In the activity, they will showcase how the concepts of the latest climate science can be taught to their students in a manner that can be easily absorbed by high school students.

With this, after the activity it is intended to have a mainstreaming effort of the principles of climate change adaptation and mitigation into the basic education curriculum lead by DepEd with the technical guidance and inputs on climate science from the CCC particularly, the NPTE.

INDICATIVE TIMETABLE