Teachers today have a very special mission.

With human activity dramatically impairing climate and environment, we look to teachers to educate and guide the next generation of business, scientific, artistic and community leaders. These young leaders will need imagination and skills to steer us to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Honoring the Future appreciates the magnitude of the task facing teachers – and the courage, wisdom and resolve with which so many are rising to the challenge. We see teachers in all subject areas, from language arts to science, pioneering innovative curricula on climate change and emphasizing values such as:  

	Awareness: Are students “nature smart”? Do they have a healthy connection to nature and a capacity for wonder at its beauty and mystery?
	Purpose: Do students understand the urgent need to alter behavior which contributes to climate change – and the dire consequences of failing to do so?
	Responsibility: Are students good ecological citizens? Have they internalized wise daily habits to conserve energy, water, and waste?
	Empathy: Do students care for those who are struggling? If they or their families wrestle with economic insecurity, do they have the confidence, skill and support to improve their lives and those of their family?
	Teamwork: Do students appreciate the power of working together to foster new ways of thinking?

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Programs & Intended Audience

We also hear teachers’ hunger for more resources on how to teach sustainability. So we are pleased to support them with these free online STEAM tools to help students of all ages. We invite teachers to contact us with feedback on their use and to recommend other resources for teachers. Thank you for being part of this effort!

 

Intended Audience	Program
Early learners	Nature SmART Kids introduces young learners to nature through simple, fun activities and artist-designed rewards celebrating time in nature.
Middle through high school students	Honoring Trees: Educator’s Guide accompanies our online exhibition exploring the splendor of trees, the challenges climate change and human stresses pose to trees, and the roles humans can play in protecting our global tree canopy. The Guide offers links to 60 of the online resources most likely to spark student interest in trees in their art, science, history, social studies, language arts, and civics classes. We, The Ark: Educator’s Guide, a companion to our online exhibition profiling vulnerable and endangered species, offers resources to help students in art, language arts, and science classes learn about endangered animals worldwide and understand how to help protect them. Climate Art Mosaic allows middle through high school students to add their visual and verbal voices to our national climate debate.
High school students to adults	Let’s Explore, our 360 virtual reality film introducing climate science, enables students to accompany scientists virtually to the far corners of the globe, underneath glaciers and atop coral reefs, to gather evidence of climate change.
Teachers	Resources for Educators lists helpful resources for pre-K-12 and college educators.