PRISMS Teachers Present at NJ Science Convention

Chemistry and environmental science teacher, Dr. Randy Weintraub and biology and neuroscience teacher, Mr. Steven Brownstein, presented "Use of Simulator for Global Climate Crisis Workshop or Role-Play in Our Classrooms" at the NJ Science Convention in Princeton on October 17, 2023. Their descriptive brief intended to "unleash rich discussions and learning about changes addressing the global climate crisis. Using the free interactive simulator, En-ROADS, 'what-if' scenarios are explored to develop effective and equitable solutions." En-ROADS simulator is a fast, powerful simulation tool developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Business to understand how we can achieve our energy transition and climate goals through changes in our energy use, consumption, and policies. The 25 high school teachers and school administrators in attendance at Dr. Weintraub and Mr. Brownstein's presentation/workshop participated in a mock UN Summit on climate change. Each participant, a member of one of six stakeholder caucuses (e.g., conventional energy, world governments, climate justice hawks), worked with others to come up with action plans and policies for a sustainable future (i.e., less than 2°C average temperature rise from the pre-industrial age). The En-ROADS simulator was used during the report-outs from their deliberations and discussions across stakeholder groups. At the conclusion of the event, the participants expressed their appreciation for our teacher's efforts to teach them about En-ROADS and share ideas they can bring back to their respective schools.