Sierra Lema Makes Climate Science Tangible for Las Vegas Teens

Teaching climate science to teenagers at the Windmill Library was one of the most energizing outreach experiences I’ve had. My focal group consisted of high school students who were interested in learning about climate change at the library, and the venue offered an open, welcoming environment that encouraged engagement. I wanted to design a program that didn’t just explain climate change but helped young adults to see the connections between atmospheric science, human behavior, and their lived experience.

To prepare, I reviewed foundational climate science concepts and gathered visual aids that would help translate abstract ideas into something tangible. I created simple diagrams to illustrate the Coriolis effect, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles, and the greenhouse effect, and came up with review games to reinforce crucial concepts. My goal was to provide information through active conversation so the teens could engage with the material rather than passively listening.

The engagement activity itself was broken up into four, hour long sessions during the month of February. We began with the Coriolis effect, using the whiteboard to help visualize how Earth’s rotation influences wind currents. From there, we moved into ENSO, discussing El Niño and La Niña events and how these oscillations affect weather patterns globally. When we explored the greenhouse effect, I focused on relating the concept to real-world experiences shared by the teens, helping them connect to the topic. The teens were especially engaged when talking about carbon sources and sinks, and we mapped out examples ranging from fossil fuel combustion to forests and oceans. Throughout the sessions, we kept circling back to the central theme: how human actions, both large and small, can exacerbate or mitigate climate change.

To evaluate the program, I relied on feedback from the Teen Services Specialist, Omar Lozano-Tovar, who supervised each session. He noted that my explanations were clear and well-suited for our audience and that the review games were especially successful in keeping the teens engaged. He also encouraged me to discuss more about how our individual actions can influence climate change.

Reflecting on the experience, I felt that the combination of conversational style explanations and review games worked particularly well. I appreciated how willing the teens were to ask and answer questions and share their interests. In fact, many teens shared a common interest in the ozone “hole”, which helped me to adapt the following week’s session to include this concept. If I were to change anything, I would build in more time for small-group collaboration. Overall, the sessions moved quickly, and I think the teens would have benefited from additional opportunities to work through problems together.

I am grateful to the Las Vegas – Clark County Library District, and the Windmill Library staff in particular, for hosting this program and for creating a space where young people can explore scientific topics with openness and enthusiasm. Their support made it possible to deliver sessions that were both educational and fun. I also want to thank the teens themselves for their participation, thoughtful questions, and willingness to explore complex concepts. Their engagement reminded me why outreach matters: when young people understand the science behind climate change, they are better equipped to make informed decisions and advocate for a more sustainable future.