Climate Action and Resilience Education
(C.A.R.E.) Program

About C.A.R.E

The Climate Action and Resilience Education (C.A.R.E.) program is an initiative designed to strengthen climate and environmental education for Texas students and educators. Through multidisciplinary, place-based, and project-based learning, C.A.R.E. explores how communities can better understand and respond to environmental challenges while building the knowledge, skills, and resilience needed to create safer, healthier, and more sustainable futures.

C.A.R.E. brings together educators and students to explore environmental issues through a STEAM-focused approach that emphasizes scientific inquiry, creative problem-solving, communication, and real-world applications. The program supports educators in developing climate-focused curriculum and teaching materials while providing students with opportunities to engage with environmental challenges through hands-on learning, field experiences, and research.

Program Breakdown

C.A.R.E. consists of two primary components:

Students:
A seven-week environmental training program for Houston-area high school students that provides opportunities to explore environmental and climate-related challenges through hands-on learning, multidisciplinary activities, and place-based experiences. Students examine Houston as a case study for understanding environmental issues and explore how science, technology, the arts, and humanities can contribute to building more resilient communities.

Teachers:
A professional development initiative for Texas educators across disciplines and grade levels. C.A.R.E. supports teachers in incorporating climate and environmental education into their classrooms through project-based, place-based, and multidisciplinary learning. Educators have opportunities to engage with sample lessons, explore curriculum and teaching strategies, and collaborate around the development of climate education materials that address the needs of their students and communities.

Through these efforts, C.A.R.E. seeks to build a community of educators and students equipped to better understand environmental challenges and contribute to meaningful solutions.

Program times, dates, locations, and program details are subject to change.

To learn more about C.A.R.E., visit the Rice EcoStudio web page.

*This program is contingent upon funding.

^{*Program times, dates, locations, and compensation subject to change before the first day of the program.
**Must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident to apply.}

C.A.R.E. Student Summer Program

C.A.R.E. (Climate Action and Resilience Education) provides Houston-area high school students with opportunities to explore climate and environmental challenges through hands-on, multidisciplinary learning. The seven-week environmental training program connects students with real-world environmental issues and encourages them to use science, creativity, and problem-solving to better understand and address challenges facing their communities.

Program Highlights

• Participate in a seven-week environmental training program for Houston high school students.
• Explore climate and environmental challenges through hands-on and multidisciplinary learning.
• Engage with place-based learning that uses Houston and its surrounding communities as a context for understanding environmental issues.
• Explore environmental topics through a STEAM-focused approach, connecting science with creative and interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Develop skills in research, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
• Work alongside educators and other students interested in climate and environmental issues.
• Participate in learning experiences designed to build awareness of environmental challenges and community resilience.

Program Benefits

• Gain a deeper understanding of climate and environmental issues affecting communities.
• Develop skills for investigating real-world environmental challenges.
• Build confidence in communicating scientific and environmental ideas.
• Explore how different disciplines can work together to address complex environmental challenges.
• Connect classroom learning to real-world issues and community experiences.

Program Dates: TBD
Program Location: TBD
Program Cost: TBD

C.A.R.E. Teacher Professional Development Program

The C.A.R.E. program supports Texas educators across disciplines in incorporating climate and environmental education into their classrooms. Through multidisciplinary, place-based, and project-based learning, educators explore strategies for engaging students with real-world climate and environmental challenges while developing relevant curriculum and teaching materials.

Program Highlights

• Professional development opportunities for Texas educators in grades 7–12 across disciplines.
• Explore project-based, place-based, and multidisciplinary approaches to climate and environmental education.
• Experience sample lessons that demonstrate how climate and environmental topics can be integrated across subject areas.
• Participate in collaborative discussions and brainstorming sessions focused on teachers' curricular needs.
• Develop ideas and approaches for creating meaningful, student-centered climate and environmental learning experiences.
• Opportunities to connect with educators from different disciplines and collaborate on approaches to climate education.

Program Benefits

• Gain strategies for incorporating climate and environmental topics into your teaching.
• Explore multidisciplinary approaches that connect climate education across subject areas.
• Develop ideas for place-based and project-based learning experiences.
• Collaborate with educators from different disciplines and learn from their perspectives.
• Help inform the development of future climate education curriculum and teaching materials for Texas educators.

C.A.R.E. Workshop

Join us for the inaugural C.A.R.E. Workshop on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at Rice University.

The free workshop will introduce educators to the goals of C.A.R.E., provide a sample lesson highlighting the multidisciplinary approaches used by the program, and include a collaborative brainstorming session to better understand curricular needs related to climate, environmental, place-based, and project-based learning.

• Who: Texas educators in grades 7–12 from any discipline
• Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
• Time: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
• Location: Rice University Campu
• Professional Development: 4 hours
• Lunch and parking: Provided

Apply here for the C.A.R.E. Workshop

Program Flyers

To view and download the C.A.R.E Workshop flyer click here.

C.A.R.E Program Administration

If you have any questions about C.A.R.E, you can contact the program lead.

Weston Twardowski, Ph.D - Primary Contact
Center for Environmental Studies and the Rice Sustainability Institute’s EcoStudio, Associate Director
713-348-4081| westont@rice.edu

Mariana Quinn, M.S
R-STEM, Associate Director for Science Education
713-348-8266 | mq10@rice.edu

^{*Program times, dates, locations, and compensation subject to change before the first day of the program.
**Must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident to apply.}

^{This program is contingent upon funding.}