NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch and two NCSE Teacher Ambassadors, Jeff Grant and Melissa Lau, were prominently featured in "What are students really learning about climate change?" from Deutsche Welle's Living Planet (October 10, 2025).
The story began with Grant, a high school teacher in Illinois. "He says he has seen the topic [of climate change] trickle into the curriculum in his state off the back of discussions in classrooms. But he personally has taken a very resolute approach to making sure his students learn about the climate crisis," incorporating the topic throughout his curriculum.
Branch emphasized the importance of climate change education, saying, "Today's students are tomorrow's consumers, workers, and voters, and they're going to be faced with a series of challenges due to the disruptions caused by climate change. And in order to deal with these challenges wisely, they'll have to have at least the basic understanding of climate change and its impacts and solutions."
Teachers are not always prepared to teach climate change effectively, a problem compounded by disinformation. Lau, a high school teacher in Oklahoma, discussed the fossil fuel industry's attempts in her state to influence science teachers. "It just gives the impression of, you know, look how good the fossil fuel industry is," she remarked.
Grant ended by explaining that part of his goal in teaching about climate change is to make his students aware of their place in a globally warming world. "I think if they walk away from class like that, then that's a positive."
