2025 Collaborative Action Research Project: Climate Action!

2025 Collaborative Action Research Project: Climate Action!

As part of the Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking (NESST), the Smithsonian Science Education Center is assembling a group of students ages 14-19 to participate in a collaborative action research program on the topic of Climate Action! How can we mitigate human impacts on the atmosphere?  Through this virtual program, young people will meet weekly to explore how the topic relates to them and their community, engage with experts in the field, and eventually form research teams to produce an action project video that will be showcased at a final session in April 2025. As part of this showcase session, participating students will have the opportunity to share their work with experts in the field, as well as gather meaningful feedback and support from educators, Smithsonian staff, and their peers.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for high school or secondary school students who are dedicated to investigating local and global issues through a lens of science, who are motivated to take action, and who are willing to represent their communities in a global forum. We are seeking:   

  • High school/secondary students ages 14-19 who represent communities around the world.
  • Participants must be proficient in both written and spoken English.
  • Individuals who can commit to participating for 3 months from program start date (From February 4, 2025 – April 29, 2025), and who can attend the final showcase session virtually at the end of April 2025. 
  • Individuals who can dedicate roughly 2-3 hours per week to this project. All sessions will take place via Zoom every Tuesday from 10-11AM Eastern February 4-April 29, 2025, and all content and tasks will be hosted on Padlet.   

How do you apply?

By Sunday, January 26, 2025, fill out the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/v06vXDPqRA

Download and complete the Permission and Release Form and return to Alexia Antunez at AntunezHernandezA@si.edu.   

 

What are some benefits of participating?

There are many benefits to participating in the Collaborative Action Research Project! Some include: 

  • The opportunity to network with professionals in many fields, and gain additional knowledge about science, sustainability, and social issues.    
  • A certificate acknowledging your participation, your name listed on the Smithsonian Science Education Center website, and your videos hosted and amplified on the SSEC website. 
  • The opportunity to engage and collaborate with other youth from around the world and to bring new ways of thinking and acting for a better future to your own community. In reflecting with the 2023 Sustainable Communities Collaborative Action Research Project cohort, one participant commented, “I liked how my team and the participants of the program came from different communities and cultures all around the world, but everyone was focused on one goal: making a change no matter how small.”

Learn more about a previous project focused on Sustainable Communities here

For additional questions, contact Alexia Antunez at AntunezHernandezA@si.edu.