The Schools and the Environment Research Initiative (SERI) is housed in the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. We are creating a network of scholars to catalyze policy-relevant research at the intersection of education and climate change.
Mission
The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible across all aspects of society including the U.S. K-12 education system. However, these emerging risks are not thoroughly understood by education policymakers or commonly reflected in education policy or practice in the United States. A landscape analysis suggests the absence of an organized community of scholars, policymakers and practitioners collaborating on issues at the intersection of K-12 education systems and climate change. What research that is being done is often siloed in traditional disciplinary-specific academic networks. We aim to fill this gap.
The mission of the Schools and the Environment Research Initiative (SERI) is to advance rigorous, policy-relevant research at the intersection of education systems and our changing climate. We aim to expand the evidence base on how schools can become more resilient to extreme weather, mitigate their ecological impact, integrate environmental education into the curriculum, provide job training for the green economy, and contribute to broader environmental initiatives in their community.
We achieve this through:
- Research: Conducting original research on the complex connections between schools and our environment.
- Networks: Cultivating interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations to expand the evidence base and build connections between scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and industry leaders.
- Resources: Developing research tools and curating actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners from the local to the national level.
