Citizen science for cooler schools: improving heat resilience in educational settings

The Citizen Science for Cooler School's project (CS2) was a 12-month pilot that explored heat risk in Queensland schools and involved students as scientists to learn about and consider ways to manage identified ‘hotspots’ on school grounds. Two schools in South East Queensland were selected after meeting eligibility requirements. In partnership with researchers, students in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) clubs used inquiry-based methods to understand the heat problem and its effects.

 The CS2 project stimulated student learning about heat risk, climate change and school settings. Students applied new knowledge gained about temperature and heat monitoring to their school environment, measured and monitored heat in the school, identified hotspots and developed teamwork projects to mitigate heat or create ways to be cool: