A career’s worth of experience…

 
 

Kottie Christie-Blick Climate Change Education Consultant

Kottie began teaching about climate change over fifteen years ago, after visiting the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway. It was here she learned of the importance of mitigating climate change to preserve people’s land, food, way of life, and worldwide peace. Since then, she has researched the science, talked with climatologists, visited areas already affected by climate change, attended conferences and training sessions, written curriculum, talked with teachers, and piloted activities in her own classroom. Due to the ever-increasing demand for climate education, she now offers professional development to formal and informal educators in the United States and overseas. She also offers an online course for educators through the University of San Diego, Teaching Climate Change in the NGSS Classroom.

Kottie+Christie-Blick+at+the+White+House.jpg
 

Curriculum Vitae

Consult & Contract Experience

Big Bad Boo Studios: Environmental Education Television Series: Educational Consultant advising on topics and episodes for Canadian TV series for primary-age children.

Cloudbridge Nature Reserve: Climate Education and Action in Costa Rica; Costa Rica: Independent contractor providing climate workshops for formal and informal educators and school children; and creating climate PowerPoint presentations for the staff to use for future presentations.

CNN: Stewardship Action Lesson Plans: Independent contractor providing lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to encourage environmental stewardship and class participation in CNN’s Call to Earth Day.

Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Spatial Relations and Mapping Pilot and Teacher’s Guide; Kim Kastens, PI; New York: Consultant, Model Teacher, and Lead Author for Teacher’s Guide, advising on student mapping software.

Harvard University: Science as a Critical Lens for Global Competency Project Zero; Veronica Boix-Mansilla, PI: Consultant and Model Teacher demonstrating and advising on ways to incorporate global competency in the classroom by addressing environmental stewardship.

International School of Cape Town: Differentiating for Gifted Children in the Heterogeneous Classroom Presentation; South Africa: Presenter providing professional development for high school faculty.

IVECA International Virtual Schooling: International Student Collaborations Addressing Local and Global Environmental Concerns; New York: Consultant and Model Teacher demonstrating and advising on global classroom collaborations pilot program.

Keep Rockland Beautiful: Shrink Your Carbon Footprint: Small Steps for Big Impact; New York: Creator designing and piloting a new Eco-Station with Sonia Cairo.

North American Association for Environmental Education: Pratt & Whitney Global E-STEM Innovation Grant: E-STEM Panel Expert reviewing environmental education initiatives from NGOs worldwide.

North American Association for Environmental Education: Samsung Sustainability Innovation Award: Expert Reviewer evaluating applications for innovative environmental stewardship projects created by teachers and students.

NOAA National Ocean Services: Ocean Today: Educational Consultant advising on a new animated series of ocean-climate connection educational videos for students.

South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare: Introduction to Climate Change PowerPoint, Australia: Independent Contractor creating climate change PowerPoint slides to add to current environmental presentations by SERCUL for primary and secondary students.

South Orangetown Central School DistrictChallenging Gifted Students in the Heterogeneous Classroom Course; New York: Instructor providing professional development for elementary teachers.

Sun Valley Group of Schools: Inferential Reading Presentation; South Africa: Presenter providing professional development to faculty, primary through high school, using topics on sustainability to teach inferential reading strategies.

United States Department of State: Global Stability: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, #13 Climate Action; Washington DC: Presenter providing professional development to high school teachers from countries outside of the U.S., introducing American teaching strategies using the issue of climate change as a critical lens; Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program.

United States Department of State: Spotlight on Climate Education: Alumni Panel; Zoom: Panel Moderator; Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.

Worldreader: Heroes to Zero book series: Independent contractor providing consulting services on a series of children’s books highlighting climate action.


Teaching Experience

University of San Diego, California: Instructor, 2017 - present

South Orangetown Central School District, New York: Elementary teacher, 23 years, until 2019

Private Schools: Elementary and middle school teacher, 7+ years


Interviews

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) – Using Climate Fiction to Engage Young People in Climate Issues

Gevirtz School, Graduate School of Education, University of California Santa BarbaraKottie Christie-Blick Contemplates a Career in Teaching

MIT Climate PortalKids Against Climate Change: An Interview with Kottie Christie-Blick

National Center for Science EducationTeaching Climate Science: It’s Elementary

Our Town Newspaper – Climate’s Right for Kid-Safe Environmental Website

RepORter NYSUT Newletter - An Interview with Kottie Christie-Blick

Sweaty PenguinHow do We Teach Young Children about the Climate?

Yale Climate Connections – At This Website, Children are Talking About How to Slow Climate Change

Yale Climate Connections Sea Level Rise Lesson Plan


Citations

Educating for the 21st Century: Perspectives, Policies and Practices from Around the World – Signature Pedagogies in Global Competence Education: Understanding Quality Teaching Practice

Ensia - How Should Climate Change be Taught in Schools Across America?

Global Center on Adaptaion - Thousands of Teachers Have Signed Up to Teach Children About Climate Change

Hechinger Report - ‘Why is the sky fuzzy?’: Climate Change Lessons Need to Start as Early as Preschool

LoHud The Journal News – Blauvelt Educator Wins Prestigious Award

LoHud The Journal NewsOrangetown: Why Restaurants Aren’t Giving Out Straws

NEA Today – 5 Ways to Teach About Climate Change in Your Classroom

Newsweek – How to Talk to Your Children About Climate Change

On Point WBUR Radio - How to Talk to Kids about Climate Change

Our Town Newspaper – Climate’s Right For Kid-Safe Environmental Website

Our Town Newspaper – Cottage Lane Fifth Graders Meet UN Secretary-General

Planbook How to Teach Climate Change without Panicking Your Students

Rivertown Magazine – Cottage Lane Teacher Makes Her Mark at World Conference

Slate.com – Kids’ TV is Ignoring Climate Change

Teachers for the Planet - Kids Against Climate Change

Terra Firma, Lower Hudson Group Sierra Club Newsletter – These Kids Inspire Me

TIME Magazine – 14 Actually Good Books To Teach Kids About Climate Change

Awards & Grants

Alexinia Baldwin Educator of the Year Award: Association for Gifted and Talented Education in New York State

American Audubon Society Fellowship for Teachers: Audubon Society

Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching: Fulbright Commission, United States Department of State

Fulbright Distinguished Alumni Grants: Fulbright Commission, United States Department of State

Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Fellowship: Japan-United States Educational Commission, Government of Japan

Impact II Developer Grant: Board of Cooperative Educational Services

My Favorite Teacher Award: Barnes and Noble

NESTA and NOAA Planet Stewards Stewardship Award: National Earth Science Teachers Association and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Planet Stewards Award: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce

NOAA Planet Stewards Grants: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce

Parent Teacher Association Founder’s Day Award: South Orangetown School District Parent Teacher Association

Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2014 New York State Finalist: The National Science Foundation for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Professional Developer Grants: South Orangetown School District

Richard Gazolla Teacher Fellowship for Advanced Study: New York State PTA

Teacher Treks Grant: Hilton Worldwide Teacher Treks

Selected Publications

Christie-Blick, K., 2023, Talking to Your Children about the Birds and the Bees and Climate Change: Opinion, CNN.

Christie-Blick, K., 2022, Ocean Influences Climate: Modeling to Understand the Interdependence of Earth’s Systems: Science and Children, NSTA, v. 59, p. 38-43.

Christie-Blick, K., 2021, Climate Justice: Science for a Better World: The Science Teacher, NSTA, v. 89, p. 20-26.

Christie-Blick, K, 2021, Kids Against Climate Change: A Website for Kids (and the Adults They Love and Admire): guest blog Happy Eco News.

Christie-Blick, K., Detloff, A., and Roetker, K., 2020, Explore Nature TogetherNew Parent.

Christie-Blick, K., 2019, Ocean Acidification Investigation: Science Scope, NSTA, v. 42, p. 42-50.

Christie-Blick, K., 2019, Recycling at School: An Action Project: The Earth Scientist, v. 35, p. 26-29.

Christie-Blick, K., 2018, Book Review of The Tantrum that Saved the World: Reports of the National Center for Science Education, pp.14-15.

Christie-Blick, K., 2017, Time to Start Teaching Climate Change: Independent Education.

Christie-Blick, K., 2017, NOAA Climate Stewards Educator and Students Meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.

Boelman, N., McLean-Hely, M., Christie-Blick, K., 2016, A Migration Mystery: Earth Observatory, NASA.

Christie-Blick, K., 2015, In the Classroom: Elementary Lesson on Sea Level Rise: guest blog, National Center for Science Education.

Christie-Blick, K., 2015, Chirpy, Little Bird, Big Message: 10964 The Palisades Newsletter.

Christie-Blick, K., 2013, Talking to Children about Climate Change: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.

Christie-Blick, K., 2012, Global Awareness for Fulbright Teacher in South Africa: Global Visions, Global Awareness Network, National Association for Gifted Children, p. 8-10.

Christie-Blick, K., Branzburg, J., and O’Brien, A.M., 2002, Building Global Connections: Learning & Leading with Technology, v. 29, p. 54-59.

Kastens, K.A., Kaplan, D., and Christie-Blick, K., 2001, Development and Evaluation of “Where Are We?” Map-Skills Software and Curriculum: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 49, p. 249-266.

Christie-Blick, K., Kastens, K.A., Barlaz, D., Kaplan, D., and Katz, K., 2000, Where Are We? Teacher’s Guide: Tom Snyder Productions, MA.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS: USA 

Climate Change Made Easy for Every Classroom and Every Child, with Samantha Levine and Jacob Tanenbaum: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Denver, CO, 2024.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Climate Change but Were Afraid to Ask: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Denver, CO, 2024.

Integrating The Arts into the Teaching of Climate Science: STEAM Up!: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Denver, CO, 2024.

Climate Education at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, Costa Rica: Climate Reality Hudson Valley, online presentation, 2023.

Spotlight on Climate Education Alumni Panel: Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, U.S. Department of State, moderator for online presentation, 2023.

Teaching Climate Change While Addressing NYS Standards: AKA Everything You Wanted to Know About Climate Change but were Afraid to Ask: NYS STEM Education Collaborative, Alfred SUNY, NY, 2023.

Incorporating The Arts into the Teaching of Climate Science: NYS STEM Education Collaborative, Alfred SUNY, NY, 2023.

Colors in Nature: Cottage Lane School Earth Day for Students, Blauvelt, NY, 2023.

Climate Science & Sea Level Rise in the High School Classroom: Active, Noisy & Messy: STANYS Westchester-Bronx Chapter Conference, Ossining, NY, 2023.

Kids Against Climate Change Around the World: IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) training, U.S. Department of State, online presentation, 2023.

NOAA Planet Stewards: Dive into NOAA Opportunities for Hawaiian Teachers: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, online presentation, at 17:56, 2022.

Climate Change Education: A Global Issue: Global Teaching Dialogue Conference, IREX, U.S. Department of State, online presentation, 2021.

Using Models to Understand Climate Change: North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), Spokane, WA, 2018.

Digital Natives Use 3-D Learning to Collaborate on Climate Change, with Jacob Tanenbaum: NSTA Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2018.

Kids Against Climate Change Dot Com: Climate and Resilience Professional Development for Educators, sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant and NOAA, Groton, CT, 2017.

NOAA Planet Stewards Up Close & Personal: Climate and Resilience Professional Development for Educators, sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant and NOAA, Groton, CT, 2017.

Ocean Acidification: Experiments for Students: Climate and Resilience Professional Development for Educators, sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant and NOAA, Groton, CT, 2017.

Sea Level Rise: How Can Such a Serious Topic be so Much Fun?!: Climate and Resilience Professional Development for Educators, sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant and NOAA, Groton, CT, 2017.

Climate Science: How Can Such a Serious Topic Be So Much Fun?!: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Nashville, TN, 2016.

Kids Against Climate Change Dot Com: Best of Both Worlds International Environmental Conference, Estes Park, CO, 2016.

Globalizing Your Science Class for the 21st Century: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Boston, MA, 2014.

NOAA Climate Stewardship, with Bruce Moravchik and Climate Steward Educators from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration: National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference (NSTA), Boston, MA, 2014.

Disseminating Information in the Field of Education, Fulbright Alumni Conference, Washington DC, 2013.

International Student Collaboration Model: United States-South Africa: Students Working Together to Discuss Biodiversity Issues, with Marc Eckert and Shaun Tuohy: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference (ASCD), Chicago, IL, 2013.

Differentiating without the Three-Ring Circus, with Kristine Wagner: Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education Conference (AGATE), New Rochelle, NY, 2010.

The Future is Here: International Virtual Schooling, with Jacob Tanenbaum and Eunhee Jung O’Neil: Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education Conference (AGATE), New Rochelle, NY, 2010.

Work hard. Play hard. Live Life to the Fullest: Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education Conference (AGATE), New Rochelle, NY, 2010.

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea: Impact on Students in the Classroom, with Jacob Tanenbaum and Fourth Grade Students: Congressional Reception, Washington DC, 2009.

Bringing the World to Your Students: Blogging & Video Conferencing, with Jacob Tanenbaum: NYS Computers & Technology in Education Metro Conference, White Plains, NY, 2008.

Creating Global Connections on the Go, with Anne O’Brien: SchoolTechExpo Conference, Chicago, IL, 2003.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS: INTERNATIONAL

¡Los Niñ@s Quieren Tener un Gran Futuro!: Buena Vista Primary School, Costa Rica, 2023.

Jornada de Formación de Educadores Ambientales: Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, Costa Rica, 2023.

Colores en la Naturaleza: Cloudbridge Nature Reserve Nature Festival, Costa Rica, 2023.

Climate Change Website to Encourage Student Discussion: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), online presentation, 2021.

Inspiring High Ability Learners in the Classroom: World Council for Gifted and Talented Children Conference, Denmark, 2015.

Global Citizens for Biodiversity: Best of Both Worlds International Environmental Conference, University of South Africa, South Africa, 2012.

Raising Academic Standards and Meeting the Needs of Gifted Students: International School of Cape Town Faculty, South Africa, 2012.

Read. Think. Infer Across the Curriculum: Sun Valley Group of Schools Faculty, South Africa, 2012.

American Education Ready for the 21st Century: National Educators’ Conference, Kingdom of Tonga, 2007.

Inferring While Reading: Redcliffs School and Wainoni School, New Zealand, 2006.

MEMBERSHIPS

Fulbright Alumni Association

National Science Teachers Association

North American Association for Environmental Education

World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

EDUCATION              

MA, Curriculum & Teaching, with emphasis in Gifted Education:
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York

[+65 graduate and in-service credits in Education beyond MA]

BA, Sociology: University of California, Santa Barbara

CERTIFICATION

Climate Reality Leadership Corps

NOAA Planet Stewards Certification

Teaching Certification: New York, nursery – sixth grade

Teaching Credential: California, nursery – adult

Gifted Education Certification: New York

Go to Kottie’s photos In the Field.