Kids' Tech University is hosting a Climate Change Student Summit (C2S2)

Local Students Discuss Climate Change with Scientists and Peers

Kids' Tech University, a partnership between the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Virginia 4-H, will host the ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) Climate Change Student Summit (C2S2) on March 5, 2011 at VBI. The summit will bring middle and high school students together at sites in four states: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL; Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE, and Juneau School District, Juneau, AK.

Students will share their research and science experiments with their peers and interact with climate scientists. Climate issues that impact the students’ lives presently and in the future will be discussed as they share ideas and address questions to the scientists. During a live videoconference connecting all four sites, the dialogue will continue with a broader conversation about climate change topics across latitudes and cultures.

Virginia students from Auburn High School, Blacksburg High School, Christiansburg High School, Gildersleeve Middle School, Graham Middle School, John S. Battle High School, King & Queen Elementary School, Montgomery County 4-H, Richlands Middle School, and Tazewell Middle School are participating.

“It gave me a new perspective that nobody is in this alone, and we're all working towards the goal of reducing global warming and protecting our future,” said a middle-school student at the Summit in 2010.

C2S2 is the capstone event after a yearlong study by students and their teachers sponsored by ANDRILL, a National Science Foundation science research project, and funded by an Environmental Literacy grant from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Sponsors for the program include VBI, Virginia 4-H, University of Nebraska State Museum, and the Museum of Science and Industry. Approximately 200-500 students are involved in the Summit each year, and more than 2,000 students are introduced to the climate change materials in their classes.

For more information:

Ms. Louise Huffman, ANDRILL, lhuffman@andrill.org
Dr. Kristy Collins, VBI, kdivitto@vbi.vt.edu