A two-day summer institute for grades 3-12 teachers and teacher leaders in all subjects.
Dates Announced in November
Two days, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day
UC San Diego
In person on the main campus in La Jolla
$300 Stipend
Plus a free classroom modeling kit
What You Will Do
At the Climate Champions Design Summit, you experience a sequence of learning anchored in a local climate phenomenon, working alongside UC San Diego and Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists. Together, we explore how to support students in using the Understanding Global Change (UGC) framework to build models and evidence-based explanations.
- Experience a local climate phenomenon the way your students will
- Practice making student thinking visible through explanatory modeling
- Bring an Earth systems perspective into your curriculum and adapt resources you already use
- Connect with teachers across San Diego and Imperial Counties who are doing the same work
What You Receive
- Snacks, refreshments, and lunch on both days
- A classroom Understanding Global Change modeling kit (an estimated $400 value) at the end of the summit
- A $300 stipend after you try UGC modeling with your students and complete short surveys
- An invitation to our monthly Community of Practice, where teachers share what they learn as they teach and keep learning with researchers
How to Apply
Summit dates and the application will be announced in November 2026. Join our mailing list and we will let you know as soon as they are set.
Questions? Email us at sdsp@ucsd.edu.
Resources from Past Summits
Every tool, dataset, unit, and routine shared at past Design Summits lives on our Climate Champions page, so you can start exploring now.
Explore Climate Champions Resources Read About a Past Summit on Our Blog