Satellites, weather and climate (SWAC): Remote sensing meets the atmospheric sciences to enhance climate literacy

The Satellites, Weather and Climate (SWAC) program at the University of Vermont (UVM) is an NSF-funded, 2-year pilot study for in-service middle and high school science teachers. It is designed to support their content knowledge in the climate and geospatial sciences and thereby stimulate interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines and careers among their students. Core concepts that underpin the climate and geospatial sciences are highlighted and problem-based learning forms the structural framework of the program. Participating teachers vary in their responsibilities from Geography and Earth Sciences to Biology, Physics and Chemistry. This presentation will focus the ways in which the SWAC program has enhanced and reshaped curricula as well as the lessons learned in the creation of a reproducible framework for teacher professional development that contributes to increased climate awareness and literacy among their students.