The Global Weather and Climate Center: Revolutionizing Global Weather, Climate, Environmental, and Space Weather Education, Communication, and Outreach

Since early 2016, the Global Weather and Climate Center (GWCC) website (www.globalweatherclimatecenter.com) has worked to revitalize and transform global weather and climate education to audiences of all ages. With a growing domestic and global contingent of undergraduate, graduate, and professional science writers, broadcaster collaborators, and corporate partnerships, we are networking this global organization to those who can benefit the most from its educationally-focused, globally-based, content (e.g., teachers, their students and the general public). Our array of science writers range from operational NWS meteorologists, university professors, undergraduate students, and graduate students on tracks for M.S. and/or Ph.D. degrees in fields such as social science meteorological applications, emergency management, applied climate research, operational forecasting, and more. We also have professionals who work in fields such as aviation meteorology, tropical meteorology, and forensic meteorology. Site material includes (but is not limited to) written, audio, video, and striking visual content from numerous sources including those of the weather broadcast community.

The GWCC website, being educationally-focused, is not trying to replicate the myriad of weather websites which currently exist around the world. There are more than enough of which cover “weather as it happens.” Our focus is to “make sense” of what is happening or has happened by providing explanations of weather and physical processes and highlighting the applications of that explanation to real life (including preparedness). There is a heightened focus placed on covering higher-impact weather, climate, environmental, and space weather-related issues. Where appropriate, higher-impact storm-based events are covered, but with a greater focus on the science and safety portions of the event.

While using various U.S. weather database resources and our own science writers to our advantage, we also tap into weather resources globally for meaningful content. As a result, teachers and weather broadcast personalities have access to authentic, real-time, science-based material that can easily be incorporated into classroom discussions and activities. This includes, and needs to continue to include, content from the weather broadcast community for many reasons. Our model of sharing content material is designed to enhance ongoing visibility (e.g., web and social media sites, on-air personalities) for all contributors.

There will be an interactive discussion on how GWCC content can be integrated into classroom as well as public educational settings such as science museums/centers. There will also be a built-in Q and A session which will allow the audience to interact directly so there can be a more interactive discussion on how the GWCC website can dynamically fit the needs of a wide array of different audiences and can very effectively provide quality weather education for all viewers. Remember, weather and climate communication is now more important than ever and revolutionizing the way we communicate weather and climate information is also more important than ever before.