Inventing Tomorrow: Discussion Guide

Passionate teenage innovators from around the globe create cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats—found right in their own backyards—while navigating the doubts and insecurities that mark adolescence. These inspiring teens prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world: the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Official Selection, 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

This guide is an invitation to continue the inspiring work of the students featured in Inventing Tomorrow within your local community. Each student’s pathway to the ISEF international science fair competition offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and engage in community dialogue on one of the most pressing issues of our time – climate change – and its far-reaching effects on current and future generations.

Climate change can be a polarizing topic within some communities, as the consequences of a warming planet are not only environmental, but political as well, and they affect local economies and individual livelihoods. As such, it is important to use evidence-based science and policy when discussing the climate and climate change.

For this reason, the content within this discussion guide and the discussion prompts aim to expand understanding and identify local environmental issues in your community and engage students and adults alike in conversations and effective action towards climate justice. Recommendations for taking action and additional resources for learning more are included at the end of this guide.