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Editors and Authors Portal for

Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education

Research is a SeaTrust Institute core activity. In this new book, our editors engage with authors and interdisciplinary collaborators in exploring the role of education in addressing this this vital complex environmental issue. Welcome! We look forward to working with you.

Publisher:

Publication Date: Mid 2015

Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education

Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education explores how education makes regional and international interdisciplinary scientific research, education and policy accessible for building resilience to climate change at local and global levels. While there is no endpoint or "solution" to climate change, an opportunity exists at the nexus of education and research to create global awareness that catalyzes meaningful action in response to issues impacting the environment and society.

 

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Call for Chapters


Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education
Proposal Second Call Due Date: Final Call July 31, 2014
Editors: Lynn Wilson, Ph.D. and Carolyn Stevenson Ed.D.
SeaTrust Institute
Contact: cceducation@seatrustinstitute.org

Introduction

            Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education will explore how education makes regional and international interdisciplinary scientific research, education and policy accessible for building resilience to climate change at local and global levels. While there is no endpoint or "solution" to climate change, an opportunity exists at the nexus of education and research to create global awareness that catalyzes meaningful action in response to issues impacting the environment and society.

Engaging in scientific, use-inspired research projects of interest to policy-makers, scientists, environmental and civic leaders and the public help promote climate change awareness. Education and training programs help prepare a new generation of environmental leaders and offer critical knowledge to communities for better environmental, health and policy decisions.  

The word resilience has its origins in the Latin word resilíre, meaning to spring back quickly or recover from difficulties  (OED, 2009). Contemporary theorists and researchers consider resilience within the constraints of their disciplinary focus; while engineers focus on efficiency and assume constancy and predictability, and ecologists focus on persistence, despite changes and unpredictability, theories of adaptive capacity and resilience of complex systems such as the coupled systems of climate change and society concentrate on the management of dynamic, unstable or non-equilibrium systems that co-evolve, self-organize and negotiate in cyclical, non-linear patterns. The working definition for this book is: resilience is defined as maintaining core principles and integrity – of all kinds - under dramatically changed circumstances.The working definition of awareness for this book is: knowledge or perception ranging from fully conscious to subconscious, encompassing both cognition and feeling or sensing.

The focus of the book will be on ways in which education can be used to impact both sustainability and resilience to environmental change including climate change. Both sustainability and resilience require reconciliation of environmental, social equity and economic demands - often referred to as the "three pillars" of sustainability.  Together, these comprise the definition of the general subject area.  In this publication, authors utilize an interdisciplinary approach, blending environmental and climate science with social, political and economic knowledge impacting local conditions. Issues range from climate change and public health to ocean acidification, multilateral processes, collaboration and conflict, international capacity development, climate equity, green building, food security, insurance, finance and business, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction.

Through experience, we know that the most effective environmental work is “Local to Global and Back Again(SM).” Engaging university students and pre-university youth with the science, engineering, social and policy processes that make their community more resilient to environmental change creates an opportunity for global dialogue and focuses this text on developing a deeper understanding of social learning in the transition from awareness to action.

Overall Objective of the Book

The aim of this volume is to present a comprehensive collection of empirical work that examines adaptive capacity development techniques and strategies that illuminate the role of education in addressing environmental issues. Education provides a place for students to gain knowledge and practical experience in conducting environmentally oriented adaptation and mitigation research for issues including but not limited to climate change and health, adaptive environmental policy, economic and private industry focus and disaster risk reduction and management. Diverse contributions to the book will allow readers to understand new theoretical and practical approaches emerging from current research and identify ways to adapt or transfer them across sectors, geography, ecosystems and cultures. It is the mission of the book to share collaborative experiences based around the theme of education as capability building and the editors hope that Promoting Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education will generate new dialogue, study and collaborative practices.

The handbook will contain sections on Climate Change and Environmental Education as Capacity Building, Climate Change and Environmental Education in Adaptation and Resilience Policy and, Effects of Climate Change and Environmental Education on Community Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and Actions. Specifically, this book seeks to expand existing literature by featuring and examining actual cases about youth involved in environmental awareness and action projects. Authors explore different modalities of environmental education in action and exploring new ways to purposefully engage education with local and global environmental decisions and actions in the face of escalating changes and challenges. Educators will use it as a tool for their own professional work and research; policy makers will use the examples as a guide to incorporating education more purposefully into environmental and climate change decisions; and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will find linkages between their mission and education that will enhance both sectors.

The handbook will provide a thought-provoking exploration of questions related to environmental awareness raising processes, education and practices. Guiding questions include:

  • Capacity—what attitudes and competencies do leaders need to guide, support or facilitate through climate change education to catalyze and sustain resilient communities?  What constitutes a successful climate change education project in its effect on awareness, resilience and future action?
  • Organization—what educational systems and structures contribute to dynamic learning environments     that respect different physical, ecological, cultural, political, economic and social realities while combining perspectives to create unique outcomes suited to specific communities? What types, levels and styles of education are used and how are they applied in various situations? What are the roles of educators, NGOs, scientists, pre-university and university instructors, businesses and environmental researchers?
  • Technology—how can technologies be used effectively to enhance educational collaborations and interactions?  What models of successful climate education use online and blended approaches? What factors are unique or the same in face to face versus electronic education and educational collaboration?

Suggested Topics

  1. University and Pre-university programs and initiatives
    Community-Based education and climate change
    Collaboration in education for climate change awareness
    NGO roles
    Private sector engagement
    Policy implications
    Case studies
    Educational design for climate change awareness in different types of educational settings
    Internships
    Service learning
    Linking educational initiatives for improving climate change awareness
    Funding and sponsorships

Target Audience

  • Instructors at colleges and universities, undergraduate and graduate students;
  • Curriculum designers or administrators in  environmental science or in inter- or cross-disciplinary programs;
  • Business instructors with a focus on corporate social responsibility;
  • Pre-university instructors and administrators
  • Researchers working in a wide variety of areas including climate change, environmental science, virtual organizations, or environmentally-based organizations.
  • Professionals working in the area of environmental science and management of traditional and virtual alliances.
  • Policymakers and government executives.

 

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners interested in submitting chapters (5,000-7,500 words) are invited to submit on or before February 28, 2014, a 2 to 3 page manuscript proposal clearly explaining the intention and research basis of the proposed chapter.  Please submit a Word or PDF document to cceducation@seatrustinstitute.org. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by May 31, 2014 about the status of their proposals. 
Upon acceptance of your proposal, you will have until September 15, 2014, to prepare your chapter of 5,000-7,500 words and 7-10 related key search terms and their appropriate definitions.  Guidelines for preparing your paper and terms and definitions will be sent to you upon acceptance of your proposal. All submitted chapters will be reviewed by at least two reviewers on a double- blind review basis.  Authors of accepted chapters will then have a further opportunity to refine their work, based upon the comments of the reviewers and the editor. IGI Global has tentatively scheduled publication of print and electronic editions of the book in 2015.

About the Editors

Lynn Wilson, Ph.D. and Carolyn Stevenson, Ed.D. The editors bring a wealth of scholarly and practical experience with climate and environmental science and policy, education, intersectoral collaboration, environmental adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Lynn Wilson, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of SeaTrust Institute Lynn leads SeaTrust Institute, a scientific research and educational nonprofit organization with headquarters in the Pacific Northwest, USA, representing the organization in local to international capacities currently serving as Head of Delegation, NGO Focal Point for Conference of Parties, UNFCCC, UNCSD (RIO+20), UNISDR, and other multilateral affiliations. She serves as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR5 WGII reviewer; reviewer for the National Institutes of Health first climate change and human health grant; coordinator of global climate change and health research and Co-Chair of the United Nations and WHO affiliated Coalition on Health and the Environment: Climate Change Initiative; technical assistance partner for the Nigerian Ministry of Health, developing the educational program and the measurement and evaluation for the African Development Bank funded project Capacity-Building of Health Care Workers on Emerging Pubic Health Issues and Adaptation to Climate Change.

She is senior analyst for the consulting firm OSSIA, offering research, conflict management, strategic and policy guidance to government, education and industry for over 28 years; Academic Department Chair for Public Administration at Kaplan University with 5 years of graduate teaching experience and 15 years of interdisciplinary traditional and nontraditional educational contributions. She is a science journalist and academic author with work appearing in books, lectures, workshops, global and regional conferences and in academic, technical and trade publications. Recently Lynn has developed the Halcyon Adaptation ScenarioSM to help local communities create their own vision of a sustainable future and identify actions through which to achieve resilience to climate change. Her research specialization is public policy with a focus on environmental issues, ocean policy, and the interface between science and policy.

Carolyn Stevenson, Ed.D, M.B.A., M.A. Director of Education SeaTrust Institute Carolyn Stevenson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Master of Arts degree in Communication, and a Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in Educational Leadership and Organizational Change. She has over 18 years teaching and administrative experience in higher education, including 13 years experience in online education. She currently serves as Director of Education for SeaTrust Institute and oversees AWARE (action Within a Resilient Environment). The program provides a forum for students to acquire public service credits required for high school graduation in many US cities as well as experiential environmental education that enhances applications to top universities while giving back to their local communities. Recent publications include a chapter entitled: “Leading across Generations: Issues for Higher Education Administrators” published in the Handbook of Research on Transnational Higher Education Management, by IGI Global and Technical Writing: A Comprehensive Resource for Technical Writers at all Levels, (Martinez, Hannigan, Wells, Peterson and Stevenson) Revised and Updated Edition, Kaplan Publishing. She is currently co-editing a text entitled Building Online Communities in Higher Education Institutions: Creating Collaborative Experience, with an anticipated publication date of fall 2014.Prior to pursuing a career in higher education, Carolyn worked in the publishing field and served as a technical writing consultant.

Authors Guidelines
Editorial Board

Chapters

Tentative Chapters (Winter 2014)

Each section will include chapters that explore environmental education to produce awareness of climate change that leads to developing adaptive capacity for both individual and societal resilience to the effects of climate change. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Section I: Environmental Education in Action – Climate Change Awareness

  1. Programs promoting education as capacity building

Pre-university Programs and Initiatives
University  Formal and Informal Programs
Community-Based and Other Initiatives
Collaboration across educational institutions and with government, business and nonprofit sectors
Wise practices; research and practice gaps

  1. International and global programs promoting education as capacity building (youth, community, national and sectoral levels)

Initiatives
Government and Multilateral Organization  Sponsored
NGO Initiatives
Corporate and Business Contributions
Collaborations
Effects on Policy
Wise practices; research and practice gaps

  1. Impacts of environmental education and awareness on Community capacity building for climate change

Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction / Management
Youth education as a tool for local community benefit and policy influence
On-ground and virtual studies and cases / regional, national and international
Outcomes and projections for leveraging youth education for community benefit and policy influence.

Section II: Designing, Promoting, and Implementing Youth-Based Environmental Programs for Climate Change Awareness

    Creating environmental awareness for youth


Educational design and practice for cognitive awareness
Educational design and practice for intuitive awareness
Collaborative educational systems for creating climate change awareness
  1. Connecting environmental education programs to community

  2. Collaboration and systems
  3. Shared research and knowledge
  4. Collaborative classroom experiences
  5.  

    Environmental Education Beyond the Traditional Classroom for University Level Awareness

The role of internships in enhancing environmental awareness
Field experiences
Transcending the university experience: utilizing environmental internships to promote professional goals and continue to increase community awareness

 

Section III: Creating Collaborative Experiences for Environmental Education for Climate Change Awareness

Partnerships with NGOs, governmental entities, and corporations

Creating collaborative partnerships within and across these groups
Connecting with organizations
Engaging communitiesWise practices
research and practice gaps
Case studies


Promoting local and global dialog

Technologies, virtual and online platforms
Examples, wise practices and case studies

Funding and Sponsorship

Where and how to seek funding
Case studies and example collaborations and partnerships

Linking university programs with pre-university experiential learning
  1.  Integration into curriculum
    Service learning credits
    Linkage into Pre-university clubs and organizations
    Examples and case studies
Wise practices
research and practice gaps

 

 

 

Author Documents

 

Peer Review Form

 

Other Areas of Possible Interest for Authors:

SeaTrust Institute is engaged in project that may be of interest to our authors. Some of these are listed below. Please return to the home page tab or www.seatrustinstitute.orgfor more information on programs and projects occurring during the cycle of this book project. Thank you!

AWARE - pre university and service learning program for students and communities

Internships and Professional Certifications - educational opportunties for university students and professionals

Capacity-building of Health Care Workers and Disaster Risk professionals on Emergng Public Health Issues and Adaptation to Climate Change - a range of projects in collaboration with African NGOs, one with MInistry of Health in Nigeria, funded by the African Development Bank, one with a mayor in Lagos, and one in disaster risk reduction with project partners from Nurses Across the Borders, the African Envrionmental Network, youth organizations and other partners

Coalition on Health and Environment: Climate Change Initiative - the UNFCCC-based collaborative designed to put health is the heart of climate change considerations

Halcyon Adaptation Scenario(SM) - a process for assisting communities in developing climate change scenarios in local areas based on global and local scientific and social data, concerns and realities. Also useful in conducing research on vulnerability, capacity building and other adaptation issues.