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  • climate change studies at creek

Empower Your Students to be a Local Leader in Climate Action

The Office of Sustainability offers several programs to empower youth residents of San Mateo County to learn about climate change and take on positive climate action to build a resilient and collaborative community of changemakers. Climate change is the issue of our time. While climate change will touch the lives of many, younger generations will be the ones to witness and experience some of the most extreme environmental changes due to a warming planet. Actions today play an important role in shaping the future of tomorrow.

Youth Exploring Climate Science Program (YECS)

*Previously the Youth Exploring Sea Level Rise Science (YESS) Program, now with more curriculum topics and climate action pathways to explore.

The County of San Mateo’s YECS program provides high school students with the opportunity to learn about the local impacts of climate change through a mixture of classroom presentations, interactive activities, and field trips. This program is available at no cost to all San Mateo County high school classrooms.

The YECS program is hosted in partnership with the County of San Mateo’s Office of Sustainability and County Parks to offer remote learning and in person opportunities for students to gain a stronger understanding of climate change, sea level rise and wildfire management to learn together how to make San Mateo County a more resilient community together.

Three curriculum units are available for booking this academic year. Teachers are encouraged to select on curriculum unit per semester.

The YECS program offers the following resources and opportunities to high school teachers and students in San Mateo County: 

  • Curriculum Guidebook – step-by-step program implementation guide for each curriculum unit including NGSS standards, teaching tools, educational resources, and more.
  • Student Workbook – workbooks for each presentation and field trip to ensure student comprehension and engagement.
  • Presentations with YECS staff (virtually or in-person)
  • Virtual or in-person field trips to Coyote Point Recreation Area, Huddart Park, or a County Park of your choice, depending on availability and unit topic.
  • Visual Story Map Project – students connect climate change to their own lives through a creative self-reflection project.
  • Student Solutionary Project – students explore climate solutions and actions by creating their own solutionary project.
  • Technical support for teachers and students.

Book now for the 2023-2024 academic year! 

To check availability for this program and begin the booking process, please contact Jess Dominick at jdominick@smcgov.org.

QUESTIONS?

Contact jdominick@smcgov.org.

Game of Floods

Students at Woodside High work together to develop an adaptation strategy, May 2018.

Developed by the County of Marin, the Game of Floods is an educational game on sea level rise adaptation, including traditional flood protection measures, nature-based shoreline protection approaches, and policy/zoning changes that may need to adapt to rising sea and changing shorelines. In the game, small groups are tasked with developing an adaptation strategy for a community that will experience sea level rise and increased storm impacts causing the loss or deterioration of homes, community facilities, roads, agricultural land, beaches, wetlands, lagoons, and other resources. The game can help foster collaboration and provide a deeper understanding of the environmental, economic and social choices that communities will face in preparing for sea level rise.

The Game of Floods can be played at public workshops, high schools, and community group meetings. If you are interested in hosting a Game of Floods event in your community, receiving facilitation assistance, or a sea level rise presentation for your group, please email Jess Dominick at jdominick@smcgov.org.

Redwood City Leadership Program, April 2018.