FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Natalia Ortiz, Director of Development at The CLEO Institute; natalia@cleoinstitute.org; 305-573-5251
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The CLEO Institute launches Climate Resilient Schools Program in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools STEAM Initiatives
MIAMI, FL — The CLEO Institute is proud to announce the launch of its Climate Resilient Schools Program as part of its official partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools STEAM Initiatives. With Miami-Dade on the frontlines of climate impacts because of sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and more, climate education is integral to our resilience.
The formal launch of this program took place at Miami Palmetto Senior High School in September 2019, with 144 students attending a CLEO Climate lecture and fifty students registering to become CLEO Climate Speakers.
During the 2019-2020 school year, The CLEO Institute aims to deploy the Climate Resilient Schools program in ten schools throughout the district thanks to a Miami-Dade County environmental grant. Our Climate Resilient Schools program will support climate literacy through a variety of initiatives listed below:
The first initiative is education. Through Climate Lectures, The CLEO Institute provides students with basic knowledge of climate change. We aim to train and engage students on the climate crisis to empower them to advocate for a resilient future. Our lecture covers climate science, Earth’s vital signs, local and regional impacts and beyond, the urgency for climate action, and solutions on all levels.
Starting in January of 2020, The CLEO Institute will introduce a series of robust climate and resilience modules in line with the newly released Resilient 305 strategy recommendations for science teachers, meeting Florida standards of learning. We also advocate for schools to become Green Apple certified, recognizing schools that make a commitment to our environment. At these lectures, students will be encouraged to sign up to our CLEO Speakers Network, which is a program that trains kids on how to talk about the science of climate change, its impacts, and the solutions.
CLEO will also be reaching out to PTA’s in the schools where the climate lectures are being done to provide the PTA with a Climate 101 for adults.
The second initiative is empowerment. The CLEO Speakers Network (CSN) pairs students with an expert that will coach them to become effective climate speakers. With CLEO’s presentation slides, students will be able to provide Climate Lectures to their schools and community. In addition, students are encouraged to Advocate for a CLEO Ambassador Chair to be implemented inside their school’s student government/ council; Join CLEO’s Advocacy Network to form connections with fellow local youth, and Join the Climate Leadership Information Program (CLIP) in their school.
The third initiative is leadership. Founded by Nicole Gazo, a student at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, we will be launching the Climate Leadership Information Program (CLIP). Mirrored after the Health Information Project (HIP), CSN-certified 11th & 12th graders will teach their younger peers about the science of climate change, the impacts, and solutions. This peer-to-peer program fosters an effective, ongoing conversation around global warming, driven by young climate champions of Miami-Dade.
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