Director of Sustainability Kerry Linderoth and Director of Global Studies Dan Murray recently presented on RCDS’s Iceland Travel Program at the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) Global Summit on Climate Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Speaking with over 150 educators from the United States, Canada, and abroad, Ms. Linderoth and Mr. Murray shared their experiences traveling with 18 students to Iceland in June 2023 to study the Nordic island’s approach to confronting global warming and climate change. Their presentation shared the opportunities of teaching climate action, as well as the various approaches to this topic beyond the traditional science curriculum. Ms. Linderoth and Mr. Murray also detailed the pre- and post- travel learning experiences they created for students in order to support active and deep engagement around the topic of climate change. 

“The design of the Iceland Travel Program, from the pre-travel curriculum to the itinerary and post-travel learning experiences, was rooted in this guiding question: How can we empower teachers and students to create a meaningful opportunity to witness climate change firsthand and engage with this relevant topic? Our long-term learning strategy was to find ways to extend the experience and takeaways of hiking on receding glaciers or visiting renewable energy sites well beyond the students’ travel dates.” – Kerry Linderoth, Director of Sustainability. 

An exploration of education in the era of climate change, the GEBG Global Summit on Climate Education serves as an opportunity for schools to develop and empower students as active and engaging global citizens in the classroom and beyond.