An E-STEM Approach to Climate Change Education in Early Childhood
Educating Young Children in a Changing Climate: Impacts on Programs and Practices
Connection, Curiosity, and Care
An E-STEM Approach to Climate Change Education in Early Childhood
Victoria Carr, Julie Athman Ernst, and Sheila Williams Ridge
Curious about the sky’ s unique and vivid colors, preschool children in Minnesota noticed they could look straight at the hazy, red sun. Sheila, their teacher( and the third author), described the experience:
“ It’ s like nighttime with a bright moon,” one child shared as thick haze covered the sky, and the sun looked bright red. Like many others, our school has increasingly experienced days when smoke from Canadian or West Coast wildfires fills the sky. On this day, the air quality index was safe enough to venture out. Still, the school has had to develop policies and have conversations with children and families about the health implications of poor air quality days. Children share their concerns through questions such as“ Can we go outside later or tomorrow?” and“ What about the birds?”
18 Young Children
Winter 2025