San Diego university launches website

The University of San Diego (USD) has launched the San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership website at www.sandiego.edu/climate. “This site gives the San Diego region a chance to find information about local climate science efforts and to keep abreast of what we’re learning so our community can make informed decisions about climate change impacts,” said Dr. Michel Boudrias, lead scientist for the project The San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership is a project funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to USD and its organizational partners. The award is one of only 15 awards nationwide that were made to institutions taking the lead in planning collaborations centered on increasing the public’s understanding of climate science. “Climate science education and communication strategies are keys to the success of this grant,” said business leader and Advisory Board Chairman Mike McDade. “The ultimate goal for the project is to develop a deeper understanding of climate change impacts and the science that supports it.” The “Regional Climate Education Partnership is excited about the launch of our website,” stated. “We recognize there’s a lot of information available on the state, national and international levels. Awarded under the NSF’s Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program, these partnership grants are designed to connect climate scientists, learning science experts and practitioners to increase public understanding of climate science. The San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership has been working to develop comprehensive strategic communications and education plans to increase awareness about the science of climate change and its impacts on the San Diego region. Plan activities include: • Interviews with key opinion, community and business leaders to determine levels of climate science awareness as well as policies and actions for addressing the impacts of climate change locally, state-wide and nationally; • A public opinion survey to evaluate the general knowledge and understanding of climate change and levels of mitigation and adaptation activity among people throughout the San Diego region; • An inventory of climate-related resources in the San Diego region; and • Convening an advisory board of regional leaders from business, education, faith-based communities, government, healthcare and others to assist with the project. A summary of these project activities will be available through the website in the future. The San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership includes scientists from Marine Science and Environmental Studies at USD and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, policy experts from the Energy Policy Initiatives Center at USD, social and behavioral psychologists from California State University San Marcos, strategic community planners from The San Diego Foundation and strategic communication experts from The San Diego Foundation and strategic experts from The Steve Alexander Group. The University of San Diego is a Catholic institution of higher learning chartered in 1949; the school enrolls some 7,800 undergraduate and graduate students and is known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and community service. The fall 2007 establishment of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies brings the University’s total number of schools and colleges to six. Other academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of Business Administration, Leadership and Education Sciences, Law and Nursing and Health Sciences. The Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) is a non-profit academic and research center of the USD School of Law that studies energy policy issues affecting the San Diego region and California. EPIC integrates research and analysis, law school study, and public education, and serves as a source of legal and policy expertise and information in the development of sustainable solutions that meet our future energy needs. For more information on USD’s Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC), go towww.sandiego.edu/epic. The San Diego Foundation is San Diego’s leading resource for information about charitable giving and community needs. The Foundation encourages, supports and facilitates meaningful dialogue on issues affecting each of the region’s communities, and works with philanthropists to develop creative solutions to meet critical community needs. Since its inception in 1975, The San Diego Foundation has helped public –spirited citizens find ways to address community problems. Funds managed now number in the thousands. Through them, donors support numerous organizations and serve a variety of extraordinary causes. Donors and funds all share a common purpose: to make San Diego a better place to live, work and play. For more information on The San Diego Foundation’s study, visit www.sdfoundation.org. California State University San Marcos is a new kind of CSU – fully engaged in the community, technologically sophisticated, and dedicated to teaching future generations through a relevant curriculum with a global perspective. CSUSM includes high quality, close instruction at three colleges and a school of nursing, a technology-rich campus, more than 80 student clubs and organizations, the Clarke Field House and an active Associated Students, Inc. and 304 rolling acres nested into the foothills above the city of San Marcos, and a short distance to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the Mexican border. For more information on California State University San Marcos, visitwww.csusm.edu. Scripps Institution of Oceanography is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for ocean and earth science research, education and public service in the world. Research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography encompasses physical, chemical, biological, geological and geophysical studies of the ocean and earth. For more information on Scripps Institution of Oceanography, visitwww.sio.ucsd.edu. The Steve Alexander Group includes the talented professionals who bring decades of award-winning experience in creative strategic planning, strategic communications, board and leadership development, conflict resolution, collaborative problem solving and team-building, facilitation and mediation and media training and crisis communications. For more information on The Steve Alexander Group, visitwww.alexanderpa.com