SubjectToClimate.org Climate Resources 

SubjectToClimate.org is a repository of climate resources for K–12 audiences. The resource database offers hundreds of lesson plans and other materials to support educators in teaching climate science issues in the classroom. The lessons are developed by educators from SubjectToClimate and other environmental education content providers/agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, Maine Department of Energy, Center for EcoLiteracy, and more.

Selected resources include investigations such as How Do We Get There From Here? (grades K–2), which introduces young students to various modes of transportation and the energy they use, and Climate Postcards (grades 3-5), in which students interpret data in graphs to learn about Earth’s many climate zones. At the middle level, resources include lessons such as Are Winters Getting Worse?, which investigates the impacts of climate change on winter weather; and Tracking Change Over Time, Understanding Remote Sensing, which teaches students the basics of remote sensing and Landsat satellites and how they work. At the high school level (grades 9–12), students explore climate science through lessons such as Clouds, Models, and Climate Change, which explains the impacts of human activity on the formation of clouds and the role clouds play in climate change, and Six Americas, Six Views on Global Warming, a role-play activity in which students practice communicating with people who have dissimilar opinions on climate change.  

Connect With Laser Communications

Discover the advantages of communicating information using infrared lasers with resources explaining NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), otherwise known as laser communications! Designed for K–12 teachers and families, the resources—including a video overview, PDF presentation, printable bookmarks and coloring sheets (in Spanish and English), and classroom activities—explain how laser communications works and describe the advantages of communicating with satellites in this way. 

Operation Hypify

If you’re running an after-school STEM club or looking to start one, Operation Hypify can help you. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit was designed by students to foster curiosity and excitement around STEM through hands-on and challenge-based learning. Operation Hypify provides free resources every month to support teachers and students committed to giving students more opportunities in STEM. Resources include 3–5 free lesson plans for clubs, opportunities to get students involved, promotional materials to increase participation, and webinars and guest speakers.

Operation Hypify has grown to seven chapters across multiple states with more than 330 students. Register to access everything you need to elevate your STEM club: https://forms.gle/9HVzwdAPYxobuLaW7.

Coleopterists Society’s Youth Incentive Award Program

The Coleopterists Society, an international organization of professionals and hobbyists interested in the study of beetles, has a program to recognize young people studying beetles. The Society has pledged to provide up to $1,200 each year for the Youth Incentive Award Program. The Junior award is a monetary grant of $400, and the Senior award is $800. In addition, awardees will each receive a one-year subscription to the society journal, The Coleopterists Bulletin. The objectives of the Youth Incentive Award are to

• provide encouragement and assistance to young beetle enthusiasts (grades 7–12);
• promote the study of beetles, the most diverse group of insects, as a rewarding lifelong avocation or career;
• provide opportunities for young people to develop important life skills such as leadership, cooperation, communication, planning and conducting a scientific study, grant writing, and managing funds; and
• provide some financial support to enrich activities or projects.

A Youth Incentive Award Committee from the Coleopterists Society will evaluate the applications and will select up to two winners annually; one each in junior (grades 7–9) and senior (grades 10–12) categories.  The selection committee invites proposals for topics such as field collecting trips to conduct beetle species inventories or diversity studies, attending workshops or visiting entomology or natural history museums for special training and projects on beetles, studying aspects of beetle biology, and more. The proposed activities or projects will be evaluated on their degree of creativity, educational benefit to the applicant, scientific merit, feasibility, and budgetary planning.  

This award is for proposals by individuals only. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to find an adult advisor (teacher, youth group leader, parent, etc.) to provide guidance in proposal development, but the proposal must be written by the applicant. The Coleopterists Society can also assist in establishing contacts between youth and professional Coleopterists.

Applications must be submitted by November 1. For more information, e-mail David Furth at furthd@si.edu.  

Register Your School for the 2025 USA Biolympiad

Registration has opened for the 2025 USA Biolympiad (USABO). The USABO enriches the life science education of nearly 12,000 talented high school students in the United States annually. It provides the motivation, curricular resources, and skills training to take them beyond their classroom experience to the level of international competitiveness. After two rounds of challenging online exams, 20 Finalists are invited to a residential training program in which they learn advanced biological concepts and exacting lab skills at the USABO National Finals. The winning team at the National Finals will go on to represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO).

The 2025 IBO will be held in July 13–20 at Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines. For more information, e-mail Kathy Frame at kframe@cee.org.

Discussing Race in Health and Medical Education: Inclusive Approaches to Teaching and Learning 

In this webinar on August 21 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, the presenters will discuss the role of race in medicine and health care education to work toward health equity. This conversation will feature several community organizations and leaders who will delve into approaches and materials to bring these important conversations into the classroom. LabXchange will be joined by representatives of Body Scientific, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue (PGED). Advance registration is required.