Meet the 2021 Metcalf Fellows!
We generally think about climate change on a global scale, but environmental shifts are happening locally, and they affect our daily lives in countless ways.
As climate change has become a more frequent issue of concern, all newsrooms have had to adjust by incorporating more coverage of environmental change and its impacts. Unfortunately, many reporters and editors lack the background, sources, and confidence to cover these stories with the depth and nuance they require. Metcalf Institute’s Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists is designed to address this gap.
From public health risks like poor air quality and excessive heat to deficient infrastructure that wasn’t built to withstand record winds and flooding, climate change is a local story happening in the back yards of all news audiences. The 2021 Annual Science Immersion Workshop provided twenty Fellows with the sources and understanding of science to uncover these stories, and also explored the most effective and inclusive ways to report on the disproportionate effects of climate change on people of color and vulnerable communities.
Meeting virtually via Zoom because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 Metcalf Institute Fellows gained a solid foundation in the fundamentals of research practice, climate science, and adaptation measures from leading researchers and policy makers.
Based on effective methods for remote learning and to accommodate Fellows’ schedules, the workshop was offered over two weeks beginning on May 24, 2021, during the afternoons of Eastern Standard Time.
- Week One: May 24 – 27, 2021
The first week built Metcalf Fellows’ science translation skills and familiarized them with the building blocks of academic research. Journalists participated in sessions on data visualization and statistics and probabilities followed by interactive sessions that provided insiders’ perspectives on how to read, interpret and translate scientific publications. This week also offered strategies for localizing climate change stories, an issue that was explored more extensively in Week Two. - Week Two: June 7 – 11, 2021
The second week explored climate change science, impacts, and adaptation measures in greater detail, with a focus on environmental justice. Metcalf Fellows discussed uncertainties in climate models, the state of science regarding extreme weather, sea level rise, coastal resilience and public health, and what these compounding challenges mean for vulnerable communities. Journalists applied discussions from Weeks One and Two to create a plan for localizing these issues for their news audiences.
Annual Public Lecture Series
The Metcalf Institute 24th Annual Public Lecture Series, June 14 – 18, 2021, featured leaders in climate change science, policy, science communication and journalism discussing a different environmental topic each day. View all the Annual Public Lectures here.
View Recent Annual Science Immersion Workshops:
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015