New Rochelle High School teacher Carmen Glenn was named a 2026 MacArthur Foundation Climate and Equity Teacher Fellow, an honor she will carry into the classroom to benefit students.
Glenn, one of only 18 teachers selected nationwide, took part in the 2026 Climate and Equity Institute, held at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine from July 26 to Aug. 1. The participating teachers joined a growing network of teacher-leaders who are pioneering ways to help students see the science of climate change in its human context.
“Climate change and equity are inextricably linked through causes, effects and solutions,” Glenn said. “Most recently, the flooding caused by a glacier collapse in Nepal shows that impacts can affect people who are not the main responsible parties for climate change.”
The institute began with a day of teachers sharing their expertise and experience on ways to engage students in the subject of climate change and equity. It also featured sessions on place (urban, suburban or rural), indigenous perspectives, youth action and voice, and dealing with emotion and trauma when teaching about climate change.
Glenn said the most compelling lessons she took away from the week were that “climate grief and anxiety are real and affect all of us; that the solutions to the climate crisis are going to be different in different places; and that indigenous ecological knowledge can teach us about solutions.”
The Institute was conducted by TERC, an internationally recognized STEM education institution located in Cambridge, MA (https://www.terc.edu), under the sponsorship of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
In the coming year, the Climate and Equity Institute teachers will continue networking with their colleagues across the country and with the TERC team. They will contribute to a growing body of knowledge on best practices for teaching climate and equity for an informed and engaged citizenry.