CIRES – Education and Outreach

Program Contact

CIRES Education & Outreach Program

ciresoutreach@colorado.edu

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) strives to learn about the earth and environment, including people’s relationship with the planet.

The Education and Outreach program at CIRES (pronounced “series”) is the go-between that helps to make cutting-edge research accessible to students, teachers and the public. The scientific team at CIRES includes more than 500 scientists, who are studying ideas like what drives large wildfires, how to detect methane pollution and the behavior of Arctic sea ice. Some of the big topics we work on are climate change, natural hazards, water resources, forest health, pollution, our dynamic oceans, the chemistry of the atmosphere and the special environments in the Arctic and Antarctic. We study these topics on the ground, aboard ships, on skis, in the labs and from space.

Because scientific understanding helps us take better care of the Earth, our researchers also tackle public policy, with the aim of guiding policymakers toward decisions that are based on the best available science.

The theme that ties us all together is a desire to understand the Earth better, and specifically, how we can work toward a sustainable future. This mission is up to all people, not just scientists. That’s why our job is to reach out to you and help you learn as much as you can about the incredible planet that we all share.

Our core value is that the whole world benefits from science, but only if that science is shared with the world. Join us, and see where science can take you.

Ongoing projects

  • Teacher professional development
  • Scientist professional development on education topics
  • Climate and energy education resources
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Education components for research projects
  • District partnerships

To learn more about our opportunities, visit cires.colorado.edu/outreach or email us at ciresoutreach@colorado.edu.

  • Online resources

    Additional Info

    Videos, webinars, curriculum, and virtual teacher workshops


    Location

    on campus

    Dates

    Ongoing

    Public or Private

    Public Program (open to the public)

    Program Fee

    No charge to attend/participate in activity or program

  • Community programs

    Additional Info

    HEART Force - Hazard Curriculum
    We are Water - Traveling public exhibit on water in the four corners
    Science Show & Share - Free webinar program for 6th-10th grade classrooms and the public
    Data Puzzles - Innovative classroom-friendly datasets with Ambitious Science Teaching instructional practices
    CLEAN Collection - Free collection of over 900 k12 resources for climate education & more
    ESIIL - Inclusive community of practice to leverage wealth of environmental data
    Field Safe - Virtual workshop for environmental and inter-personal remote field environments
    Girls on Rock - High school science-focused summer climbing program
    RECCS - Undergraduate research program
    PSECCO - Polar science early career office


    Location

    in colorado

    Gunnison

    Dates

    Ongoing

    Public or Private

    Private Program (by request only or for a specific audience or group)

    Program Fee

    No charge to attend/participate in activity or program

  • Regional programs

    Additional Info

    We are Water


    Location

    outside colorado

    Dates

    Ongoing

    Public or Private

    Public Program (open to the public)

    Program Fee

    No charge to attend/participate in activity or program

Sponsoring Units

  • Research Institutes

  • Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)

Program Partners

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Project partners as described on project entries

Audiences Served

  • Adult Learners
  • Alumni/Parents/Friends
  • Children & Youth (outside school)
  • General Public
  • Historically Excluded/Marginalized/Non-dominant Group(s)
  • Indigenous Populations
  • International
  • LGBTQ+
  • Manufactured Homes/ Mobile Home Communities
  • Native American/American Indian
  • People Of Color
  • People Who Identify As Women, Girls, and/or Females
  • People With Disabilities
  • Rural Communities
  • Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
  • Students - Community College
  • Students - First Generation College - going/bound
  • Students - Homeschooled
  • Students - High School
  • Students - Middle School
  • Teachers - Elementary School
  • Teachers - Middle School
  • Teachers - High School
  • Urban Communities