Youth Engaging in the Science of Resilience in Urban and Rural NC (YES-Resilience)

This Pilot Project and Feasibility Study explored the extent to which rural and urban youth participating in a science enrichment program at a regional science museum exhibited gains in environmental health literacy. Two groups of youth (with 37 participants in total) participated in interactive, parallel programming at two museum locations (one rural and one urban). At both sites, youth explored climate impacts (such as extreme heat and flooding), local vulnerabilities and risks associated with those impacts, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies, and opportunities for communities to develop resilience. A subset of participants conducted action projects in their communities, with many engaging peers, families, and other community members in their projects.

This Pilot Project and Feasibility Study advanced understanding of how informal science learning environments can support youth learning about resilience and how such programming fosters environmental health literacy. The project also provided insights into how partnerships between research universities and informal science centers can incorporate local data and support youth action projects.