Programs

These programs are the result of partnerships between CIRES, research scientists, and educators. Each project offers engaging ways for people to get involved with science topics and recent research.

 

CIRES Education and Outreach Programs strive to make science and research data accessible, inspire environmental action, and empower curiosity and scientific engagement for a sustainable future. We provide accessible, inclusive, high-quality environmental science curriculum and informal learning experiences, inclusive community building and engagement, meaningful career development, and research and evaluation. We hold diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and educational justice as core values in our work.

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Science on a Sphere – harnessing eye-catching data visualization to bring science about Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere to life in science centers, universities, and museums across the country.

Climate Education and Climate Action — supporting educators and guardians in teaching and facilitating conversations about climate and energy with free, peer-reviewed education resources, nourishing a vibrant climate education community, and inspiring climate action.

Curriculum Development and Educator Training — inspiring students to learn science the same way scientists do — through exploration, discovery, and sense-making founded in observations of the natural world — and supporting educators through high-quality professional development

Undergraduate Research — empowering undergraduate students as they build research, writing, and communication skills through authentic, independent research experiences at CIRES, CU Boulder, and NOAA.

Career Development, Mentorship, and Diversity — providing inclusive training opportunities for learners at all career stages and championing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and educational justice in our processes, educational products, and experiences.

Community Engagement and Informal Education — collaborating, listening, and reflecting with audiences and communities to build mutually beneficial relationships and impactful informal STEAM programs that increase the use and understanding of science for a sustainable future

Research and Evaluation — measuring the impact of STEAM resources, programs, and events and investigating how STEAM education and outreach can best support learners, educators, and scientists. through methods that respect and honor diverse cultural lenses and worldviews

Programs

Scientists walk up ice and snow
  • Scientists
ADVANCEing FieldSafety

A facilitated virtual workshop to mitigate environmental and inter-personal risks in remote field environments.

Antarctica
  • Educators
Antarctica: Connecting Climate Change, Melting Ice Shelves, and Pooping Penguins

Five-part curriculum about Antarctic environmental processes and building connections between ice shelves, surface melt, climate change - and penguins!

A false color globe.
  • Educators
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)

A collection of 900+ free, peer-reviewed climate and energy educational resources and support for educators

Scientists coring sea ice - credit Marcel Nicolaus
  • Educators
  • Scientists
Data Puzzles

Innovative lessons that combine classroom-friendly datasets with the research-backed instructional practices of Ambitious Science Teaching to support students in making sense of science phenomena

ESIIL
  • Scientists
  • Evaluation
Environmental Data Science Innovation & Inclusion Lab (ESIIL)

Enabling an inclusive community of practice to leverage the wealth of environmental data for challenges in the environmental sciences.

Geomagnetic Storm
  • Educators
  • Students
GeoMag

Hands-on curriculum that explores the power of community/citizen science, Earth's magnetic field, space weather, and data collection

Backpacking participants jumping
  • Students
Girls* on Rock

Girls* on Rock is a unique, FREE wilderness science education program for high school girls*. We welcome cisgender girls, transgender, agender, Two Spirit, nonbinary, intersex, and genderqueer youth and those who demonstrate allyship with these communities to apply

large bolt of lightning across night sky
  • Educators
  • Students
  • Public
HEART Force

Action-oriented curriculum that engages middle and high school students in Colorado to investigate wildfire, flood, or drought risk in their hometown and inspire action to increase resilience

Polarstern research vessel.
  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Public
MOSAiC

Education and outreach efforts around the international Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition to the Arctic

Walkers on the Arctic
  • Scientists
  • Public
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA)

Supporting highly collaborative research toward a more resilient, healthy, and equitable Arctic that is understood and stewarded for its role in global systems. 

Ice Birds
  • Scientists
Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO)

Community-building and community-support organization for polar early career scientists

QGreenland interface
  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Public
QGreenland

A free, open-source geospatial data package that makes Greenland-focused research, teaching, and collaboration more accessible

People standing in front of sign
  • Scientists
  • Students
Research Experience for Community College Students

Summer research experience program for community college students from Colorado and surrounding states

Learn Solutions Still
  • Educators
  • Students
  • Public
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit

Guide that supports educators working to connect human rights and climate change in formal and informal learning spaces

SOS logo
  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Public
Science On a Sphere (SOS)

Room-sized, global display system created by NOAA that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe

wind turbines in the sunset
  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Public
Science Show & Share

This webinar series connects scientists from around the world to engage students and learners of all ages. Each webinar includes a 15-20 minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Explore our recommended learning materials on the event page.

Lake Dillon Colorado
  • Students
  • Public
Water in the Western US

University of Colorado Boulder just launched a free, online course exploring water and climate in the western United States.

colorado river horseshoe bend
  • Educators
  • Students
  • Public
We are Water

Place-based education program that connects diverse communities in the desert Southwest with water topics through stories, activities, and a traveling exhibit


Recent Programs

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  • Educators
  • Scientists
Arctic Climate Connections

The Broader Impacts portion of the NSF proposal studies the analysis of existing data from Arctic terrestrial stations with multi-year measurements of the surface energy budget, clouds, soil temperature profiles, and basic meteorological measurements.

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  • Scientists
Braiding your River: CIRES Career Development Series

Monthly professional development webinar series that supports personal learning and provides inclusive opportunities for CIRES researchers to connect and grow together

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  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Public
CIRES/NOAA Science@Home

This webinar series features 10-15 minute presentations followed by 10-15 minutes of Q&A and are all paired with recommended learning materials.

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  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Public
CIRES/NOAA Serie La Ciencia-en-Casa

¿Eres un maestro/a buscando oportunidades de aprendizaje a distancia para tus alumnos/as?

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  • Educators
  • Students
Climate and Resiliency Education

Building capacity and resources in climate and resiliency education with secondary science educators.

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  • Educators
DISCOVER-AQ: Know Your Air Quality

Accurate air pollution data can help us develop solutions to our region’s persistent air pollution problems.

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  • Scientists
  • Students
Engaged Scientist Series

Free public lectures and workshops for graduate students & postdocs on engaging with communities.

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  • Educators
  • Students
Improv and Environmental Science Workshops

Improvisational theater workshops that engage students and teachers in applying improv to science communication and collaboration.

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  • Educators
  • Students
Lens on Climate Change (LOCC)

Documenting the effects of climatic and environmental changes on students' lives and in their communities through short films.

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  • Educators
  • Students
Lentes en Cambio Climático (LECC)

Los estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria exploran temas locales sobre el cambio climático mediante la producción de cortometrajes.

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  • Educators
  • Scientists
  • Students
The GLOBE Program

The GLOBE Program is a network of worldwide students, teachers, scientists, and partners who work together. CIRES E&O is a GLOBE partner.

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  • Students
  • Public
Tribes Eye

Engaging Navajo tribal college students to learn about climate and the local environment through photography.

Keep up to date on opportunities and news from CEEE