The Finger Lakes CLE launches a new mini grant program to support educators in creating and connecting climate and data learning for youth.
2024 was a year of new beginnings, as the Cumming Nature Center experienced staff transition for both the Director and CLE Coordinator roles. With new leadership, the Finger Lakes CLE was “restarted” in July with a kick-off meeting. CLE leadership also developed a webpage and flyer to help connect more effectively with educators in their area. They are excited about the direction we are heading, and the new members who have joined their crew!
As part of this “restart,” they offered small project grants to support CLE members and their climate-related projects. They were excited to have a diverse group apply, with five very different projects encompassing numerous counties and a variety of age groups. Each of these projects focuses on youth climate and data literacy, and features a connective element. The goal of these project grants is to meaningfully resource educators in their network, and to build deeper relationships across the CLE. As they embark on their projects, they have been updating their fellow educators during CLE meetings. This has resulted in resource sharing, brainstorming partnerships and new collaborations with folks interested in participating!
Here is a list of some of upcoming projects:
A rural elementary school (Wayne Central School) staff member who is working with her students, a local artist, and the high school environmental club to create a movable Earth Day mural that can then be put up in other locations such as public libraries. The mural will include data about bald eagle conservation (the school’s mascot is an eagle) and Braddock Bay Raptor Research may be involved as well.
An urban high school chemistry teacher (Rochester City School District) will be studying local water chemistry with his students and studying where the water comes from and goes. They will test tap water in numerous locations around the city as well as natural water sources, drawing connections between how climate impacts water quality. This data will be submitted as community scientists and they plan to advocate for better tap water quality if an issue is found. They plan to collaborate with journalism, photography or journalism classes, make a public display, or even go on a local radio show. They are working with the city’s Bureau of Water.
The Community Science Institute plans to collaborate with Discover Cayuga Lake to lead boat rides and water testing on one of the Finger Lakes. Students have asked to know the big picture of what their tests mean, so they will be hosting an end of year celebration to look at that data overall. Students at this event will go home with their own water test kits. This program will also be providing water test kits to local libraries.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County is collaborating with a local rural high school (Penn Yan Central School) to remove an invasive plant from the school grounds using a proven chemical free method. Invasive plants are known to decrease the resiliency of native plants, which help reduce the effects of climate change. This method involves the plant growing through fencing they will put down and then self-girdling. If successful, the youth will share their knowledge to educate local invasive species organizations and a trail maintenance organization (the same plant is found on this trail).
A local educator with the Ontario County Soil & Water Conservation District will be visiting classrooms in rural and urban areas teaching students about soil and macro-invertebrates. This grant will allow her to buy portable microscopes so that the students she works with can see the soil they are studying in detail, connecting soil and macro-invertebrate health with climate health. She works with local teachers and the local 4-H.
We are excited to share more details after the projects are complete!